String Theory
by 321Z3R0
Summary: Left to fend for himself in a village full of hypocrites, criminals, and super-powered humans, Naruto has to learn how to survive on his own after the orphanage decides they've done enough. Fending for himself in the shadier parts of Konoha, Naruto learns the hard way that the world is a cruel place. Welcome to Konoha's underworld. Rating is subject to change. Read & Review! Enjoy!
1. The Consequence of Innocence

A/N: I am going to put this out there right now: This is my first story. Also, updates happen whenever the fuck inspiration strikes me and I am near a computer. Now that I've said that, I must also state that I will be creating my own version of Naruto's heritage, at least a bit. Minato and Kushina will stay as his parents, but the ancestry and abilities of the Uzumaki clan will be a bit... different. I'm trying to be original in this story, because so many good ideas are executed incorrectly in my opinion. So, wish me luck! Oh and for those who don't like (eventual)God-like Naruto, leave. Mind you, not instantly God-like, but before shippuden starts, he will be able to fight Kakashi to a standstill. Unless you wanna give it a chance, I'd rather not have you flaming in the comment section. Note: Flames will either be ignore, or responded to with logic that will pick you apart and make you feel like a complete and utter dumb ass. BTW, the title will make no sense for a while and will possibly change.

Disclaimer: I will only be saying this once, and I mean once. I don't fucking own Naruto. Sad story, right. Well, shed no tears, I'll cry myself a river and sail away.

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3, 2, 1, FIGHT!

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Kage Bunshin \- Jutsu(I don't think I'll be having NINJAS call out their moves much though).

**I will feast upon your entrails** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech.

_I wonder if angels die, do they go back to heaven? _\- Thought/Flashback narration.

OH MY FUCKING GOD - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication(which will be present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

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Ch. 1

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"Catch me if you can!" shouted our hyperactive dumb ass. '_Sweet Kami, I hate acting so stupid. At least they underestimate me by a lot when I do.' _With a sack on his back, he looked back and saw 4 chunin and 2 jonin on his tail. Unconsciously pushing chakra into his legs to go faster, he sped up to the point where he was a blur to anyone under chunin. Unfortunately for him, he was being chased by chunin and higher, and his shout had attracted an anbu on patrol. _'Shit'_ he thought to himself, trying to go faster. Still whizzing by, he headed towards a corner with a light post. Grabbing the pole, he swung himself around the corner, heading back into the shopping district. He flew by a stand, pulling on a container of apples. One of the chunin stopped to help the owner of the stand, all while sending dirty looks in the blonde jinchuriki's direction.

Looking back, the blonde saw that the anbu was gaining on him. With a start, he realized he was also beginning to slow down. Soon the anbu was able to reach out and make a grab at his shirt. Thinking quickly, he made a sharp turn into an alley he was familiar with. Very familiar with, actually. Hearing a crash, he knew, without looking back, the anbu had crashed into one of the stands, putting him out of commission for a while. Using the ninja's surprise to his advantage, he quickly went deeper into the alley, going as fast as his legs could carry him. One of the jonin set off a trip wire, causing various scavenged kunai to come shooting out at them all. This gave Naruto the chance to get ahead for a few seconds. Not much, but that was all he needed. Going by an abandoned building, he smiled._'Nearly home free!' _He reached a dead end, and the jonin had come back into sight, the chunin a second or two behind.

He jumped into a dumpster right as the jonin got to him, causing them all to smirk. "Finally got the little shit," the unnamed jonin in the front muttered, voicing the shared thoughts of his comrades. Going up to the dumpster, he said in an authoritative tone "Under Konoha law, you are hereby under arrest for petit larceny. Surrender or we will be entitled to use force." As calmly as he said this, one could hear the malicious pleading in his voice. _'I really hope this kid fights back. I've just wanted one reason, one fucking reason, to smash this punk's face in.' _When he heard no movement in the dumpster, he smiled, thinking he could finally get his wish. With malicious glee, he flung the cover open, ready to fill all visible non-lethal spots with kunai. To the surprise of the jonin, and every ninja present for that matter, it was devoid of anything. _'This fucking kid!_ was the shared thought of all of them.

On the other side of the abandoned building, in a separate alley, Naruto was laughing to himself while making his way to a man hole. "Dumb asses! Did they really think they could catch me. Me! Ha!"

**'Well, Naru-chan, you can't really expect a normal ninja to keep up with you. Just my being here made you better than ****most genin by the age of 4.'**

'Hehe, well I'm 5 now, and I'm able to escape anbu! I think I deserve a little bragging, at least to myself.'

Yes, Naruto was 5 and escaping anbu. How? Well, any relation to a being of supernatural nature, be it divine or demonic, will grant something to a mortal, beneficial or detrimental. Naruto had his body used as a cage for the strongest demon in existence at the moment, held back by a seal put in place and maintained by the power of the deity of death, the Shinigami. With the youki of a demon being filtered into his system, his body grows at an accelerated rate due to his natural chakra working to keep up. Then the seal itself was increasing the flow of youki into his body to attempt to drain the demon faster. How their so close is a different story all together. Going under ground, he thought back to when they first met.

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FLASHBACK NO JUTSU

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_Deep within the Redlight District of Konoha, Naruto was getting ready to go to his job: be the mail courier. "God that title sucks when I think about it," muttered our blonde protagonist. Looking up at the clock, he saw that it was nearly 6 am, meaning he was almost late. "Fucking hell, baa-chan will have my head if I don't get there soon."_

_Rushing out of his house, he made his way to the Redlight District's local post office. Why would they hire a kid to deliver the mail? Well, the task would normally fall to the genin, in the form of D-Rank missions, but the Sandaime couldn't, in good conscience, send children into the Redlight District, regardless of whether they were genin(and technically adults) or not. This was the case for many places in the district, actually. Most parents don't want to raise a child next to a brothel, and most ninja had a reputation to uphold and didn't wanna be seen leaving that area._

_Finally arriving at the post office, he went into the back to check if sorting was complete. Whilst heading to the sorting area, he passed by his bosses office and heard unfamiliar voices. After pausing a moment, he was about to keep moving before he caught a piece of the conversation that caught his attention. _

_"Ya know, you are rather behind on your payments Haitatsu-san. If you don't pay up soon, we may be forced to retrieve our own reimbursement from you. And I don't think you'll like that, Haitatsu-san," spoke an unknown, gravelly voice. He tried to keep his voice level, but anyone could hear the barely restrained anger in his voice. His poorly concealed threat did nothing to help his subtlety, or lack there of._

_"I know, I know, but I just don't have the money right now. I have little to no staff, and little to no __business," spoke an elderly voice he would've been able to place immediately, even without the unknownman saying her name. 'Haitatsu-obaa-chan sounds worried. Did I do something?' was all Naruto was able to think before the conversation returned. Pressing his ear to the door so he wouldn't miss anything, he continued to listen in.  
_

_"We don't care about your fucking problems. We saved your ass on the assumption, no, assertion that we would be paid back, with interest. It has been 3 years, and you haven't even come close. Now, either we take both you and your business and get every penny possible out of your wrinkly old ass, both literally and figuratively, or you have to think of something that will give us assurance of some sort of money coming in, and soon. The yakuza may not be hurting in the money department, but we still take these matters seriously," a different voice said. 'Yakuza! Oh shit on a stick, what the fuck did you get yourself into Haitatsu-obaa-chan!' Thoughts of these kinds were the only thing running through young Naruto's mind. Growing up in the Redlight District, you either learn fast or die, and one of the first things he learned after the orphanage threw him out there was NOT TO MESS WITH THE YAKUZA! They could have you killed in an instant, and he'd seen it happen. The Konoha police force had little actual power in the Redlight district, so the yakuza were the law. He also learned that showing weakness meant no respect. And no respect meant less, well, everything...good. Less job chances, less money, less housing. Less chance to survive. So, his baa-chan sounding so desperate was all the more shocking for him. _

_"Well, is there anything you need, or would like? It doesn't matter if you don't think I can get it__," said Haitatsu in a more determined voice, "just tell me. I'll do what I can." 'That sounds more like the baa-chan I know.' thought Naruto. _

_"Well, if you really need to know, we don't really need much, besides our fucking money," he started, and Naruto could hear the glare in his voice. "We would like to have cheaper everything, "goods" delivery, brothel promoting, ya know. I doubt you could do much in those areas, granny. You actually answer to Konoha legally to get the mail for some people, so you can't really be trusted with the "goods", ya know."_

_Letting out a relieved sigh, answered them after a moment to collect her thoughts. "What if I told you," she started in a victorious tone, "I had someone who could deliver your "goods" with little trouble, even when chased by anbu."_

_"We'd say your lying," replied the original man,"but we'll humor you. Let's say you do have this person to help you, what's to say he won't take any of our "goods" for himself, then blame us for not delivering the right amount?" 'I feel like I should get out of here right now' was all Naruto got to think before he heard Haitatsu shout for him to "Get his ass in here." Grumbling about shitty luck, he made his way inside to the disbelieving stares of the two yakuza representatives. "This is the guy? I sincerely hope you are just going senile, Haitatsu-san."_

_"Trust me," she said, directing their unnerving stare from the young boy who was beginning to crack, "he is able to get away from anbu easily."_

_"I wouldn't say easily, baa-chan," stated Naruto before quickly covering his mouth with his hands, berating himself mentally for drawing their attention back to him._

_"And that," began the old lady once more,"is why i am sure he won't steal your merchandise. He was able to eavesdrop on us for a while before even I was able to notice, but he's still just a kid! He won't want any of what you want delivered. I can guarantee that much."_

_"I think we have a deal, Haitatsu-san. He delivers for us, and you get to keep your, well, everything. I hope this little shit doesn't quit, or you're both fucked."_

_'Shit! Why do I get the shitty luck, huh! I think I've gone through enough already, Kami-sama...' he thought before pausing his internal ranting to look up. '__ And no answer, as usual.'_

_And so began Naruto's introduction into Konoha's underworld._

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A/N: Aaaaand cut! Chapter one is done, and I feel like it coulda been better but... meh. I will probably end up modeling his appearance after someone a bit uncommon in the fanfiction universe, and there will be elements from other series, though which ones will become known to you in due time. Haitatsu's character and past will be explored more later, though I doubt she'll be a main character for long. Also, HAREM! WOOOOO! Now, this won't be the "Imma just screw all these girls 'cause I can!" type of harem, but it won't be the type where he is forced to choose one and break the others' hearts either. Members are not set in stone as of yet but let me put what I've thought of so far below:

(In bold=confirmed; Italics=probable, but could change; Normal=Possibly)

**Fem Kyuubi**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

_Fem Sasuke_

_Fem Gaara_

_Mei _

_Yugito_

_Tayuya(Love this one but I also have other possible pairings with her)_

_Temari_

_Ino_

_Anko(Love this one, but Iruka may not be getting any otherwise)_

_Fem Hidan(Don't see much, if any, of this. Only seen one really, and that was uber-genderbent with just about everyone in a harem.)_

Sakura(Only if any readers really want her. I really don't like her but I can put aside my bias.)

Fem Kakashi(Not the biggest fan but I'm willing to try)

Kin(If Temari and Ino are both confirmed, then she goes to Shikamaru)

Shion

And you guys can suggest any others you may want! If the amount confirmed attempts goes above 7, though, then you'll need to review/PM with a good reason as to why they are compatible. Romance can be hard to write, you know! Read and Review! If you liked it so far, share it with your friends, family, family's friends, and friend's family! Hope you enjoyed, and Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanzaa/etc.!


	2. Entering the Web, Welcome to My Parlor

A/N: WARNING: FLASHBACK CHAPTER! Not sure if it's gonna be the whole chapter or not, but it will continue in for a good bit. Also, if you haven't noticed, my first chapter wasn't very long. I was just testing the waters, so expect chapters with a 3000 word minimum from now. So far, I have gotten positive feedback on this story. Thanks! It actually means a lot to be getting views and reviews. I'll put the current votes for the harem in the ending author's note. And, for Tensa-Zangetsu102, since you were my first review ever, your requested character is guaranteed! Also, the flashback will probably end up being finished in the first half of this chapter, but get picked up on later in the story. Now, I made a mistake that I corrected already in the ending author's note of the previous chapter, which was calling Haku FemHaku. If anyone does actually want male Haku, I can add him, but there's already support for femHaku in the reviews. I have no problem adding some gay stuff, but I'm, in real life, straight, just unbiased, so it may suck. Then again, most emotional stuff is somewhat hard for me. Also, please review or pm me if you guys want japanese or english jutsu. It you want japanese, which I personally prefer, though I don't speak the language fluently, please say if you want it next to the jutsu or in the end of the chapter. Regardless, ON WITH THE STORY!

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Kage Bunshin \- Jutsu(I don't think I'll be having NINJAS call out their moves that much though. It will probably be made fun of a lot in this story.).

**I will feast upon your entrails** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech/thought.

_Do angles go back to heaven when they die? _\- Thought/Flashback stuff.

OH MY FUCKING GOD - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication(which will be present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

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_Flashback no Jutsu (Continued from Last Chapter)_

* * *

**_Last time on Dragon Ba-,er, Naruto_**

_"I think we have a deal, Haitatsu-san. He delivers for us, and you get to keep your, well, everything. I hope this little shit doesn't quit, or you're both fucked."_

_'Shit! Why do I get the shitty luck, huh! I think I've gone through enough already, Kami-sama...' he thought before pausing his internal ranting to look up. '__ And no answer, as usual.'_

_And so began Naruto's introduction into Konoha's underworld._

_**And Now-**_

_After the yakuza had left, Naruto turned to Haitatsu and, in a oddly calm voice for someone in his situation, spoke to her. "I...," he started out, putting Haitatsu on endge, her thinking he might quit,"hope this means I get the rest of the day off, baa-chan." Haitatsu could only blink in surprise as he continued. "Seriously, if the anbu catch this time, I am screwed. I need to go and prepare. Need some hair dye, a new shirt, maybe some darker pants too..." he said, muttering the last part to himself as he looked down at his somewhat bright, green cargo shorts and old sleeveless hoodie(A/N: search isolated naruto in google images and look at the one where he has the shadow with nine tails). 'The last thing I want is to get caught doing this by the old man. He'll give me that "I'm so disappointed in you" speech.'_

_Meanwhile, Haitatsu was shocked that he was so nonchalant about being forced into illegal activities. She was about to ask him exactly that, but decided to keep her mouth shut and accept this as a little gift from above. 'Thank you, Kami-sama.' _

_She was snapped back to reality when she heard Naruto calling her name. "Oi, Haitatsu-baa-chan! Can I, please!?" _

_Still not having too much man power, she obviously responded with a resounding "Hell no! Who do you think is gonna get stuff done around here!?" __Naruto could only sigh in defeat before leaving the room and doing the job he came to do. _

_Before he got to the sorting area, he looked at a clock, turned around, and slammed his head into the wall with a shout of, "FUCK! I am sooo late today!" He could hear Haitatsu's laughter from down the hall. Sighing, he continued on his way, mentally preparing himself for the annoyed looks he'd get for being so late... and the snickers for being seen in his mail satchel by those who weren't used to it. 'I do look somewhat silly in that thing. Oh well.'_

* * *

_"Sweet Kami," Naruto called out as he walked back into the post office,"that took forever today! At least Mr. Kodokuna didn't have one of his "packages" coming in. Hehe, pervy old man." Naruto made his way to Haitatsu's office, looking to ask about where to go for the other "deliveries" for the yakuza. _

_He came in to find her taking a nap. 'You motherfucker!' was all he could think. 'Making me work while you take a Kami damned nap!' Then he noticed a small orange book on her desk 'Pay back is a bitch baa-chan.' So, without a second thought, he picked it up and put it in his hoodie pocket and silently got back outside her office. Once there, he placed the book on the ground, right out of view. Knocking on her door to wake her up, he called out "I'm back, baa-chan!" which had the expected effect of waking her up and ill effect of making her chuck a kunai at his face. _

_Jerking his head to the side, he looked to his left and saw a kunai centimeters from his head before looking up at her in silent shock and no small amount of fear. He got no comfort there, finding the normally nice old lady glaring in his general direction with somewhat glazed over eyes, 2 more kunai in hand. _

_With his mind was overloaded with both fear at nearly dieing and awe at his baa-chan's skill, he just passed out.(A/N: I think you guys can tell what's coming.)_

* * *

_Mindscape_

* * *

_Taking deep breaths rapidly with his eyes closed, Naruto was trying to calm himself down. Finally getting his breathing back under control, he snapped his eyes open and shouted, "What the fuck Haitatsu-baa-chan!" When he finally registered what was in front of his eyes, he saw that he wasn't in his baa-chan's office anymore, or anywhere he recognized for that matter. Looking around, he noticed that he wasn't even in a building anymore. He was in a sewer. "I swear to every divine deity every to exist in one form or another, when I find the person that threw me in a fucking sewer, I will rip off their head and shit down their neck!" he said, shouting the last part. He then just paused in his anger and said,"I have always wanted to say that."_

_Deciding that sitting around wouldn't help him get out, he got up and started walking. Not 10 seconds after, he heard laughter coming from down one of the tunnels. Thinking that he would rather find someone and ask them how to get out than walk around and hope for a ladder, he made his way towards its source. After a minute or two of light jogging, he reached an opening in the tunnel he was in. As he neared the entrance, he heard the laughter come to stop. Finding this a bit suspicious, he made his way in slowly, he looked around carefully, and found himself looking at a giant cage. "What the hell is this doing in a sewer?" was all he managed to get out before he heard a deep, booming voice tell him one thing.**"****Come closer, little one."** Not quite trusting the voice, he made his way closer to the cage very slowly, making sure to stay an arms length away... not that it helped. Without warning, excessively large claws flashed towards him, beings stopped only by the gate. The impact was strong enough that he was blown onto his ass, not that he would've been able to stay standing for much longer. His legs were shaking so much that they were unable to support him at that moment. _

_Looking at the claw, one thought going through his mind 'I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die.' _

_He was broken out of his wide-eyed, fear induced stupor by a laugh similar to the one he was hearing earlier. **"****HAHAHAHAHAHA! OH MY GOD, YOUR FACE WAS FUCKING PRICELESS!" **That was all the recently revealed giant fox was able to get out between its laughter. _

_This went on for a few minutes before Naruto got annoyed at being ignored and laughed at. Deciding he'd had enough, he got back up and shouted "HEY! I'M STILL HERE YOU KNOW! You could at least wait until I'm gone before you laugh at me." His blush from being laughed at did nothing to abate the fox's laughter. _

_Glaring at the fox for just laughing at him, he turned away with a "Hmph!" _

_This managed to break the huge fox out of its laughing fit, though a few chuckles still managed to escape from its maw. Deciding that its container, oblivious as he was to the fact, had been ignored enough, it turned his way with a smile, though t looked somewhat intimidating on its face. **"So, why are you here?"** it asked, though the answer was already known. **"I'm pretty sure the old monkey doesn't want you to meet me right now, so make it quick."** _

_Naruto's intelligent response was obviously "What the hell are you talking about?" Looking somewhat surprised, the fox asked him something to confirm its suspicions. **"You don't know of me?"** _

_"__No, why would I be confused otherwise?" _

_**"Look behind me, and you'll have your answer as to who I am."**_

_Deciding that it couldn't hurt, Naruto peered behind the fox to find a swishing tail. 'No, two tails. No, three.' Looking around the fox, he saw multiple tails, so he thought, 'Lemme just count them all.' Reaching a total of nine tails, he turned back to the foxes grinning face and said, "Okay, how does the fact that your a fox with nine... tails...," trailing off and going wide-eyed at his own realization, he looked up at the fox with complete fear in his eyes ans whispered, "Kyuubi?" _

_Getting a nod of confirmation from the fox, Naruto decided that he wanted to know more. 'Whenever I go into other parts of the village, people always seem to be whispering that when they see me.' Solidifying his resolve, which was still shaky at best, he asked, "What are you doing in a sewer Kyuubi-sama? Didn't the Yondaime kill you?" _

_Letting out a low growl, Kyuubi decided to enlighten the boy. **"Ha, as if the ningen could kill me. He did the only thing he could do and sealed me inside a baby. You, actually." **Kyuubi just ognored the shocked look on the boys face and continued. **"I'd say he kinda cheated though. I may be a nigh-omnipotent demon, but he summoned a god. A fucking god! How is ANYTHING supposed to beat that! It's like an instant "I win" card. Complete and utter bull." **_

_Getting over his shock at the Kyuubi being sealed inside of him, because to him it made sense, he went onto being shocked that the big, bag Kyuubi was grumbling about the Yondaime cheating in their fight. _

_Deciding he didn't want the Kyuubi to ramble to itself, and ignore him in the process, he asked, "Well, Kyuubi-sama, aren't ninjas expected to cheat?" _

_**"That's beside the point! Even in the ninja world, no one has an instant I win card like that! Even some of the strongest could lose from random chance, but a fucking GOD! REALLY!" **_

_Seeing the Kyuubi's point, but disagreeing, he decided to change the subject to something he was curious about. "So, Kyuubi-sama-" _

_**"Just Kyuubi is fine, Naruto. I've been here your whole life." **_

_"Okay Kyuubi, how can I see you if your sealed inside of me?" _

_Seeing the reasoning behind his confusion, the Kyuubi decided to help him out **"Well, we are in a place where your mental energies are manifested into a physical, well, "physical" form," **said the Kyuubi, adding air-quotes to the second physical. _

_Nodding, Naruto asked another question. "Okay, follow up question. Could you repeat what you just said in English please?" _

_Sweat-dropping at the question, the Kyuubi remembered that, regardless of how he acted, its host was still a child. Deciding to simplify, the Kyuubi thought for a moment before answering. **"****You could say that we are in your mind, specifically the seal, which is where your mind meets my own. What you see around you is a representation of your mind."** _

_"MY MIND IS A GOD DAMN SEWER!?" That was the first thing that popped into Naruto's mind. _

_Laughing at the thought, the Kyuubi just brushed off its container's concerns. **"Well, change it if you don't like it. I certainly won't mind. My paws haven't been dry since I was in your mom." **_

_Freezing at the comment, Naruto's head snapped to the Kyuubi, locking eyes with the beast. Deciding he needed answers, he asked the question. "You know my parents?" _

_**"Of course I know your parents. I've only been successfully seal inside members of the Uzumaki Clan." **Seeing its containers shock at the mention of the Uzumaki Clan, Kyuubi sighed. **"Okay, I guess a lot was kept from you. Gonna have to get you educated real quick here. Your mother was my second container, Uzumaki Kushina. Her enemies called her the Aka no Shi, the Read Death, due to her prowess in battle and combination of red hair and my youki. I assume you don't know what that is, yes?"** _

_Getting a nod from her one person audience, the Kyuubi explained. **"****T****hink of youki as a demonic version of the chakra you ningens normally use. I'm sure you know what that is, at least roughly. Now, your mother, as a person, was rather outgoing. Those who knew her loved her, and those who didn't couldn't help but smile when she smiled. Even though I was her prisoner, she made my stay as comfortable as possible, even letting me experience the world through her so I wasn't cut off from it during her entire life." **_

_A surprisingly soft smile came across the Kyuubi's face as it remembered his previous container. Naruto was shocked. He realized that the Kyuubi wasn't the monster the villagers said it was, but the smile was just so... out of place in his mind. 'Wow. What kind of person was my mom if she could make a demon smile like that?' _

_He was pulled from his pondering of his mother when he heard the Kyuubi's voice resume. **"In her final moments, when I was being sealed into you, she cried so much, though not because she was dying, but because she knew she'd be leaving you all alone. I'm sorry about her Naruto."** _

_Naruto sat there, pondering about his mother, and what he learned. "Can you tell me how she died?"_

_**'I**** can't just tell him that she died from being impaled on my claw. He'll hate me. But, if I lie to him, he won't trust me...' **_

_Sighing, the Kyuubi gave Naruto a response that he probably didn't want to hear. **"You aren't ready to know yet. There is so much tied into this that giving you some without the rest could give the wrong ideas. You don't need anymore hatred in your heart at the moment." **_

_At first Naruto was angry when she said no, but he slowly gained an understanding look. "Well, when will I be ready? Will I ever be ready?" _

_**"Damn right you'll be ready! All you need to do is get stronger." **_

_Staying silent for a moment, he then spoke, but in a much quieter voice. "Can I know who my father is?" _

_Pitying the boy for being both alone and kept in the dark for his whole life, Kyuubi sighed and responded. **"Sure. His name was Minato Namikaze, and he was your Yondaime Hokage." **Kyuubi paused to let it sink in, and it was a good thing too. _

_Naruto froze for a second or so before his eyes turned to slits and he glared at the ground with such intensity that one would think it would've burst into flames. Then, the water began to bubble in the sewer, and the Kyuubi began to speak again, snapping him out of his angry thoughts. **"I understand that you're a angered at your treatment by the people your father gave his life to protect, and the fact that he sealed a demon in you before leaving you alone in this world," **the Kyuubi began, its words doing nothing to abate his anger, **"But think about it first. Would you have rather been spoiled and oblivious to the monsters behind their smiles, to the hatred of humans? Would you rather have never met your "baa-chan"? Would you want a target on your back from other villages and factions who would see you join them or die, just because of your father, let alone your mother?" **_

_Now considerably calmer, Naruto saw the logic behind it. Still, he was kind of pissed. "Well, they thought I was mature enough to live alone, didn't they? That I'd reached the point where I could take care of myself... at 4, somehow. Why couldn't I just know about my parents? No one else had to be told, but everyone has the right to know about their own parents." _

_Thinking about it, the Kyuubi couldn't really think of a rebuttal for that. **"Well, I can't really say no to that. Is there anything else you wanna know?" **Thinking for a few seconds, he asked a question that has been in the back of his mind for the entire conversation. "Are you a boy or a girl?" _

_Smirking while thinking of his response, the Kyuubi decided to answer him without words. Glowing a deep red which forced Naruto to look away, Kyuubi changed into a more human form. **"Isn't it a bit easier to show you, Naru-chan?" **_

_In the spot where there was once a 40 story red fox, there stood a woman, no a goddess. One that Naruto could do nothing but gawk at. She had a slender figure, and was rather tall. From bottom to top, she had no imperfections. Toned legs that showed power without being overly muscled. Plump ass, toned midsection. For her build, her breasts were rather large, but not overly so. Her arms matched her legs and her face was one to go with such as perfect body. Flowing down the entirety of her body was smooth, silver hair.(A/N: Search Elena from GunXClover and you have my character model for her. I am bad at character descriptions anyway.) Oh, and did I mention butt naked? Well tack that on to the list too, because there wasn't the barest hint of clothing on her. _

_**"Enjoying the view?" **In response, Naruto could only nod. He had seen rather attractive women before, he lived next to a rather successful whore-house actually, but this was different. The first thing that came to mind when he saw her, even as naked as she was, was beautiful, not sexy. That's not to say she wasn't, for the moment Naruto registered that she was naked, he began to blush up a storm. _

_Laughing at his expense, the Kyuubi said one thing that snapped him out of his stupor. **"By the way, my name is Kogo. It's rather demeaning to have a name based on the amount of appendages you have. It's like deciding your name is Nihonashi because you have legs and there are 2 of them." **_

_Getting his blush mostly under control, Naruto nodded in agreement but decided to make one request. "Can you please put some clothes on?" _

_Putting her hand on her chin in pretend thought, she said, **"Hmm? Should I?" **Sweat-dropping at the answer he knew was coming, he just sighed and let her say it. **"Nah. I don't feel like it. Clothes make me feel so restricted. Now, let's get to talking about your training!" **_

_Now he was thoroughly confused and decided to voice it. "Training? What training?" _

_Rolling her eyes, she decided to explain the conclusion that was obvious to her. __**"I said that you would be strong enough to be able to actually use the information I'll give you about your mom, and I meant it. So, naturally, I will make sure that you are ready. Besides, now you need to be able to escape from the anbu that'll chase you if you get spotted."** _

_"Really!?" _

_**"Would I lie to you?"** Seeing him beginning to respond, she quickly cut him off. **"Don't answer that. Moving on, we will have to talk about this when you get home, but for now, I think the old lady is getting worried she killed you from a heart attack instead of a kunai. Even though time passes slower in here, we've been in here for hours. When you wanna come back, just try to meditate when your sleepy. I'll guide your consciousness back here."** Rather confused at the turn of events, he just nodded. Kogo reached through the bars and flicked him in the head, causing him to flinch and fall back._

* * *

_Real World_

* * *

_When he opened his eyes, he was laying on the floor of his baa-chan's office. Seeing her doing some paperwork, the first thing his mind went to was...'VENGEANCE!' _

_He tried to sneak up on her and get some payback. Before getting within a foot of her, she turned to him and said, "Have a nice nap?" _

_Stumbling back in shock, he sent a small glare at her before remembering the question first on his mind when all of this started. Deciding to give voice to his curiosity, he asked, "Were you ever a ninja, baa-chan?" _

_Feeling as though this was a good chance to see what point his deduction skills were at, she responded. "What gave you that impression?" _

_"Well, you threw a kunai at me before I...," he started, pausing and looking away for a second. 'I'm not sure if I should tell her about Kogo-chan.' Coming to a quick decision, he choose not to say anything about Kogo. "passed out." _

_Thinking the pause was from embarrassment, she nodded at his assessment. "I was a ninja, an anbu captain actually." Ignoring the wide-eyes of her worker and surrogate grandson, she continued. "I'm glad you could tell so easily. This means that your going to be easier to train than I thought." _

_Ears perking up at the mention of more training, Naruto looked back up at Haitatsu. Seeing his confused look, she gave him a smirk, an evil glint in her eyes. "You will technically be part of something illegal here. You'll need to learn how to travel undetected, how to be invisible to even the anbu. You may already be able to outrun them, but that's only because you have unpredictability and youth(A/N: No, not THAT youth. At least not yet.) on your side." Gaining a more serious look, she continued. "You won't have the luxury of getting caught all the time. While the standards for anbu have lowered drastically since my time, they are still ninja. If you get caught, you could possibly die. I won't even mention the police force, as they all hate you anyway. You get caught by them, you will die."_

_With the gravity of his situation finally sinking in, he nodded before responding. "Well, what do I need to do?" _

_Smiling at his agreement, she went on. "You are already stealthy enough to hide from chunin naturally. I've seen you hide from an occasional jonin, but they eventually catch on to where you are. I won't even go into what an anbu could do to find you, but do you know why the jonin can find you with relative ease?" _

_Shaking his head, he listened intently. "It's because you have too much chakra without enough control. You're a four year old with as much chakra as a somewhat experienced chunin. To those sensitive to chakra, you're a beacon. Most, if not all jonin are able to detect chakra sources above civilian. So, now that you know you're problem, it's time to fix it." _

_Nodding his head, Naruto couldn't help the shiver that went up his spine. **'Welcome to hell, Naruto-kun'** Kyuubi chimed in, scaring him, though he has gotten used to the scares as the day went on. _

_Only flinching slightly this time, Naruto focused on Haitatsu with a determined look, only to get scared again as she unknowingly echoed Kogo. "Welcome to hell, Naruto-kun. You'll thank me for this later." Closing his eyes, he could only think 'I am so fucked' before Haitatsu grabbed him by the shoulder and shunshined to her basement training area. Feeling dizzy at his first time doing it, he fell to his knees. "We'll get started immediately, Naruto-kun. They've told me that the first job they could trust you with is in a month, so suck it up. We have training to do."_

* * *

_Flashback no Justu: Kai_

* * *

Having Kogo's voice sound in his head snapped him out of his reminiscing trance. **'You're about to miss your turn, Naruto-kun.' **Seeing that he had made his way to the fourteenth manhole cover in the tunnel he was in, he took a look at the map he had drawn on the wall there to make sure he doesn't forget his way. **'You know, you could just come in here and look at your memories if you want the map, right?' **

Nodding his head, he responded. 'Yes, but I don't want to be too reliant on it. If anything happens, like a concussion, then I could lose the sewer pathways I've worked so hard to map out. This shit is complicated, you know.' Continuing on his way, he made his designated location.

Popping out in an alley way near the yakuza head quarters in his neighborhood, he jumped to the roof and activated his concealment jutsu. 'Akuma no Genso: Nise Gaiken(Demon Illusion: False Appearance)' Choosing to appear as his alter-ego, which he has so nicely code named Haiso(Delivery)(A/N: For a good description, Google: Young Walter C. Dornez), he stepped back a few feet, ran, then jumped across the crowded streets to the roof of his target building.

Dropping down to a balcony, he went to channel ckakra into a lock seal on the window before it swung open. The two yakuza members who opened it gestured for him to come in, one of them saying, "The boss was waiting."

Gulping at the thought of keeping his boss waiting, he walked into the hallway the balcony lead into. Making his way to the office, he pondered how he was going so fast. 'Oi, Kogo-chan, do you know why I was able to stay so far ahead in a straight chase for so long. Haitatsu-baa-chan already told me that I am naturally fast, but they were fully trained ninja!'

Glad that her container finally noticed the effects of his chakra control training, Kogo responded. **'Well, channeling chakra has become second nature to you after all the chakra control exercises you've done. You can channel it to different body parts of your body to make them hit harder, move faster, and adhere to surfaces better. You already knew about the last part, but now that you've figured it out, you can surprise your baa-chan when you train. I can also start teaching you some more advanced things now that you are so in tuned with your own normal energy. That's for later though; you're here.'**

Somewhat miffed that he wasn't told that he could do that earlier, he returned his attention to the door in front of him. Opening it, he walked in and saw his "boss" sitting there with two guards on either side of the room. They just stared at each other for a few seconds.

He was wearing a white suit with a black shirt opened slightly at the top. His black, slicked back hair reflected the sun and his tattoos were visible under his shirt which was open at the top, showing the gold chain he wore around his neck. His hand was under his chin, and he was facing Naruto, though he couldn't tell if the man was looking at him due to the pitch black sunglasses he was wearing.

Smirking in false confidence, Naruto decided to start off the conversation. "My mission was successful, Shido-sama," he said as he opened the bag which contained three scrolls. "Though I feel the police force will station more ninja there when the traders arrive again in October. I'd recommend thinking of another method for getting your next shipment into the village. Maybe even the one after that, just to be safe."

At that point, Kogo decided to get in her two cents. **'Well, Naruto-kun, you have to admit that posing a fake robbery on some unsuspecting "merchants" is a very effective plan.' **

'Yes, but Konoha REALLY doesn't like it when things don't go their way. I'm sure he has a backup method anyway.' After pausing to answer Kogo, he focused on Shido again, only to find him unsealing the delivery himself.

Finding more scrolls inside then, Shido looked at their labels before resealing them and throwing them at one of his guards. "Store that, and make sure it's all there before you record it. After that, you can go on break." The guard nodded leaving the room. Shido then looked back at Naruto. "I expected them to begin to crack down on that for a bit anyway. We have stocked up pretty well already. For now, I have a different job for you, but I just need you to answer one question." Here he paused, hooking his hands in front of his face, making Naruto feel a bit nervous. Then, he dropped a bombshell. "Will you be able to stomach dealing with human trafficking?" Eyes widening, he could only think 'Oh shit.' before his serious side came out to play. Wiping any emotion from his face and going into what he called "anbu mode", he replied. "Of course."

* * *

A/N: And cut, peoples! I think that this chapter is long enough. Took me a while to decide what should be revealed in the flashback and what shouldn't. Combined with school, a lack of internet, and accursed plot bunnies, this chapter took a while to come out. I'm thinking of making a schedule for myself now, though. It'll probably something along the lines of a 3,000-6,000 word chapter per week, until June. That's when a metric fuck-ton of exams are coming to ruin my month. At least 5 midterm exams are coming up for me, though I never have to study for those anyway. High school is a bitch. Oh well, I'll probably just stock up on chapters to release, maybe give an extra here and there, when I feel like it. Also, I don't think I said it at all before, but this stuff is happening in the month of June. Merchants arrive at different points in the year, and I'll probably use this as a way to give character's certain gear. Now, onto important things; Here is the harem so far:

(In bold=confirmed; Italics=probable, but could change; Normal=Possibly)

**Kogo(Fem Kyuubi)**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

**Fem Sasuke: Voted for by my first ever review! So she's pretty much guaranteed. If you guys have a problem with it, just let me know.**

_Fem Gaara: 1 vote_

_Mei: 1 vote_

_Yugito: 1 vote_

_Tayuya: 1 vote_

_Temari: 1 Vote_

_Ino_

_Anko-Love this one, but Iruka may not be getting any otherwise._

_Fem Hidan-Don't see much, if any, of this. Only seen one really, and that was uber-genderbent with just about everyone in a harem._

_Matabi(Nibi): 1 vote_

Sakura(Only if any readers really want her. I really don't like her but I can put aside my bias.)

Fem Kakashi(Not the biggest fan but I'm willing to try)

Kin(If Temari and Ino are both confirmed, then she goes to Shikamaru)

Shion

Thanks for the input so far. If there are any complaints about the story, just let me know! If there are any mistakes, tell me, and I will go and fix them. Constructive criticism is welcome, flames are not. Let me know if you want english techniques or japanese techniques. If you want japanese techniques, please say whether you want translations next to it or at the bottom, or if you even want translations at all. After maybe two more chapter, I'll just choose what I wanna do for the techniques. Thanks for taking the time to read my story! R&amp;R!


	3. Who Said Cheaters Never Prosper?

A/N: I feel like typing today, so I am! Seeing the view count go up makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Just kidding, my heart is a deep, dark, and unforgiving abyss. But seriously, I really respect the writers who make at least 10,000 word chapters every week. I find it difficult to break five thousand without wanting to end it. Seriously, this chapter gets really explanation-filled at a point, even though the info is needed. I just can't see explanations going on when something important is happening simultaneously, nor can I see the Naruto I plan on creating doing something he doesn't understand in an important situation, so it's better that you guys know. I may do a brief flashback when it pops up later in the story, but it won't really give understanding. Not much else to say in this author's note, so I'll just jump right on in! Harem will be at the end as usual.

EDIT: I came back and tried to make the walls of text... no longer be walls of text. Okay, let me say it logically this time. I came back to fix the walls of text that were my paragraphs.

* * *

Kage Bunshin \- Jutsu(I don't think I'll be having NINJAS call out their moves that much though. It will probably be made fun of a lot in this story.).

**I will feast upon your entrails** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech/thought.

_Do angles go back to heaven when they die? _\- Thought/Flashback stuff.

OH MY FUCKING GOD - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication(which will be present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

* * *

After discussing the terms with his boss and his "boss", Haitatsu and Shido respectively, Naruto went back into an alley before deactivating his jutsu and heading home. On the way, he decided to train on his roof until it was time to train with Haitatsu. Now, his building was rather empty, only 2 other people actually lived there, and they were both old and seemed to be near their end. Naruto had most of the building to himself, at the moment. After reaching his apartment, he decided to try out using his chakra to do things. Attempting to do focus chakra into his legs knowingly this time, he focused for a second before jumping. He got the effect he wanted, and then some. He went flying above his roof and landed in the middle... on his face. "Note to self: practice using chakra on limbs. And practice landing that jump."

In his head, he could hear Kogo laughing at him. 'Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. Just get it out. Whenever you are ready to get started, I'll know by the silence in my head.' Making the most of his time, Naruto started warming up by dong some laps around his roof.

Five minutes and 20 laps later, he noticed an odd silence. 'You done yet, Kogo-chan?'

**'I think so. Hehe.' **Hearing a few chuckles still escape her, Naruto gained a tick mark on his forehead. **'Now, now. There's no need to get angry. I know that you may not have found it so funny, but I found it hilarious.'** Naruto could feel her trying not to laugh at this point.** 'Your ass was sticking up in the air and everything.' **

Just as he was about to get mad at her starting to laugh again, he noticed what she said. 'How did you see that? I thought you could only see what I see?'

Nodding at her container, though he couldn't see it, she responded. **'Well, it's a somewhat long explanation, so I think you should come into your mind for this one. You didn't visit last night anyway; I kinda missed your company at night, you know.' **Blushing slightly at where his mind went, he sat down in a lotus position and meditated. At this point, he could enter his own mind without assistance.

* * *

Mindscape

* * *

Appearing in the house Kogo had made in his mind, he called out "Oi Kogo! Where are you!?" He got his answer in the form of a furry, red tail brushing under his nose before disappearing in a small burst of youki. Turning his head, he saw Kogo sitting in her couch upside down, with her legs where her head should be, and her head where her legs should be. Her arm was outstretched and and a wisp of youki came off of it before she pulled it back in.

**"There you are, Naru-chan!"** was all the warning he got before his head was shoved between her tits... as per usual for him. Pulling back, she looked at him with a small, fake glare. **"One day, and you already forgot the rules of my house?"** Her glare disappeared and her eyes took on a mischievous look.** "No clothes inside, Naruto-kun! Now either you fix it...,"** at this point, her smile changed to one to match the look she was giving him.** "Or I do." **

Finally blushing, he thought about it and his clothes were gone, revealing a body that had obviously gone through rigorous training. Even at five, one could see the developing muscles covering his body. "Happy now?"

**"Very! Now, onto training." **Walking out of her house in his mind, they made their way to the backyard, though forest would be a better description. Concentrating for a second, Kogo made a clearing open up and multiple different obstacle courses appear before she told him one word. **"Sit." **Grumbling at being treated like a dog, he did as he was told. She had made it clear from day one that he was to follow orders or end up training until he was unconscious and then training some more. **"Now, what I'm going to teach you will require you to know Some things. And those things will make you want to know other things. This may take a while, so get comfortable."**

Here, she took a seat in front of him, crossing her legs and "accidentally" exposing her crotch, causing him to blush slightly and attempt to lock his eyes with hers. Seeing his reaction, she couldn't help but smirk, before settling her face into a more serious look and sighing.

Feeling like she was ready for a long explanation, she began. **"****All tailed beast draw power from something in nature. Shukaku, the Ichibi, has sand, Matabi, the Nibi, has fire, Isobu, the Sanbi, has water, etc. I am different from the others, though. I draw power from nature as a whole. Anything in nature allows me to regain any used energy, though I do prefer fire... by a lot. Regardless, that's what makes me the strongest: I have a theoretically infinite supply of power. If I were to fight any of the others, even in their element, I'd probably win. At the very least, I haven't lost yet, and I've fought each of them at least once." **

From this, Naruto went a little wide-eyed. Then, his surprise changed to confusion when he recalled part of what she was explaining. "Natural energy?"

Hearing this, she decided to elaborate. **"Think of it this way. The world is alive in its own way, and, as you know, every living thing has its own chakra, in some way or form. Well, since it's not as if the world is having a shortage, I use my abilities to refill and increase my admittedly monstrous reserves of energy."**

Seeing his confusion disappear, she continued.** "But my power is over natural energy itself. I can do more with it that get a quick recharge. I can use it as an extension of myself. I can make my techniques form on things outside of my visible range. I can even move around within my range as I please, with enough control. The distance for all of this is proportionate to the amount of chakra I have, but I have no shortage, and IF I did manage to run out, somehow, I could just stop for a quick refill." **Gawking at how overpowered that ability was, Naruto could only stare at her in amazement.

Then, a thought occurred to him. "How in the fuck did you manage to lose to Konoha? Couldn't you just have used that Bijuudama technique you told me about from a distance?"

Deciding that it was a question worth answering, she did exactly that. **"Well, I think that you are going to be strong enough to be able to use the information within the next few years, and you're already on a good path, so I'll give you this much. I was being controlled by a person with the Mangekyou Sharingan. I know that you haven't learned about this form of the Sharingan from Haitatsu, and I doubt she even knows of it, so I'll elaborate. The Mangekyou Sharingan is an advanced form beyond the final stage of the Sharingan Haitatsu already taught you about. Everything about it is increased: its tracking abilities, the detail of the chakra it can see, its GENJUTSU." **As she explained, she stressed the last part, seeing if he would get it.

A look of understanding crossed Naruto's face at that point. "You were under a genjutsu from the Mangekyou that caused you to go on a rampage, right?"

Smirking at her container, she answered, **"Close, but no cigar. I was actually controlled. Pretty close, but if I was in control, even in a rampaging state, and I don't mean to be cocky, there wouldn't even be rubble left where Konoha currently stands. Regardless, the person claimed to be Madara, but I would remember that fucker's chakra. The guy who did it was no where near his level." **

Noticing that they'd strayed from the original topic by a lot, she decided to get back on track; she already had a lot to say. **"I'll tell you more about it later, but the point is, you've gotten certain abilities from me, and I don't want any of them to go to waste. When you were in your mother's womb, and even before, my presence made certain changes happen. For one, you have your own pool of youki to tap into, though it's inactive at the moment. Activating that is one of the goals for today, along with getting you to use my control over natural energy, if even just to sense your surroundings. Also, as an Uzumaki, you have the ability to form your chakra into solid constructs, at least from what I learned during my time with Kushina." **

Naruto wasn't sure which he was more amazing. The fact that he had youki, the fact he'd be able to use this natural energy, or the fact that he could make his chakra solid. All went against what he knew, or at least thought he did. "Okay, okay. I have two questions."

Now it was Kogo's turn to be surprised. **"Only two!? My Naru-kun is so smart!" **

Ignoring the interruption to avoid embarrassment, he continued. "One: How can I make my chakra solid? And two: How do I have youki? Does that mean I'm a demon?"

**"Well, to answer your questions in order, the Uzumaki were infamous for their long lives and strong life forces. THAT came from their extremely potent chakra." **Now, seeing his head tilted to the side in confusion, she sighed. **"Fine, I'll explain this too. Ningens die because of something they all suffer from in their later years: chakra decay. This is the weakening of their chakra's potency. Their bodies can't run on it anymore and, eventually, give out." **Nodding, Naruto filed away the fact that he wasn't included when she referred to ningens. **"Now, an Uzumaki's chakra is strong enough to fight off chakra decay for an extended period of time. None have ever achieved immortality, to my knowledge, but a few have lived for hundreds of years. **

**"Now, back to your original question. If what I just said was any indication to you, Uzumaki chakra is extremely potent. Now think about it, the seal is continuously trying to drain my youki into you, though your yondaime didn't know about my ability to restore it, so it's draining at a continuously increasing amount. The older you get, the faster it'll drain, until you reach your peak condition. Now, you have purified youki, which is already many times more potent that human chakra, draining into your own chakra pool, combined with your naturally potent chakra. You could, in theory, create living things out of your chakra." **

Seeing the look of awe on his face, she continued, nodding seriously. **"I see that you finally understand the gravity of your situation. That's not even the end of it. Since your mother had me sealed within her when you were being... made,"** she started, causing Naruto to blush at the implications, **"my youki was mingling within your still developing chakra system, both increasing your normal chakra's potency and giving you your own youki. If your father had been a jinchuriki, there would've been a large chance for you to be born as a demon. As it is, you aren't completely human, being a jinchuriki, but any human could become something more, be it a demon, an angel, a deity, even a god damn vampire. The only thing a human can't become is a true God. And if they have permission from the higher ups, it can happen too. You, on the other hand, were born as an in between, a half-breed, if you will. As your seal continues to attempt to drain me, you will probably ascend into demon hood, or descend, if you will. At the very least, you'll be immortal unless killed." **

Now Naruto, understandably, had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, he would just keep getting stronger, possibly becoming immortal. On the other hand, he'd be proving the villagers right when they whispered things like "Demon" and "Monster" in his presence. As if she could read his mind, she put a hand on his shoulder soothingly, before pulling him into a hug, reminding him of their current state of dress. **"Don't worry about what the assholes in this village say. When humans don't understand something that has power, they will automatically fear it. That fear will turn to hatred,"** here, she pulled away,** "and humans have a notoriously bad record with dealing with hatred. You know how it goes. I'm sorry." **She then bowed to him.

Now Naruto was confused. "How is it your fault? From what I get, this village has been sealing you since the Shodaime Hokage's time. If anything, it's my father's fault for creating me as I am then leaving me with those whose mission in life is hating me. I'm sure he knew what would happen."

Blinking in surprise at his level of maturity, she asked him something. **"You ARE five, right?" **

"Of course I'm five!"

Nodding, she got up. **"I was just making sure. Now, I think we've talked more than enough, it's time to train. Since you don't have anywhere near as much youki or the proportionate amount chakra to what I have yet, you'll just be training in letting your chakra saturate your surroundings first, then you'll focus on feeling what your chakra is encompassing, then you'll be doing it while running through one of the obstacle courses. You can probably do the first two with ease, due to your chakra control at this point. Now, get to it! I'm taking a nap; tell me when you want to try a course." **

Scrambling to his feet, he concentrated on bringing his chakra out. Once he got a feel for it, he pushed it out of his body, letting it leak into and mix with his surroundings. Soon, it leaked into the "air" and the "earth". Opening his eyes, he looked over to Kogo. "Is this right?" When she nodded, he decided to get used to bringing his chakra out instead of just moving on. After 20 minutes or so, he felt that he had the hang of it. Deciding to make this an actual training session, he performed the best jutsu that Haitatsu had taught him so far, and his personal favorite. _'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu'._

Making a few copies of him, he ordered them to move around him in a random pattern. As they did their jobs, he went back to doing the first exercise while they moved. Slowly, he began to build a fuzzy picture of his surroundings in his mind. He felt the chakra in his clones as they moved. The longer he did it, the more defined their shapes became in his mind's eye. Spending an hour or so doing this on and off, he built up speed forming a picture of his surroundings. Not enough to use in an intense battle, but enough for it to be usable.

After feeling like he had learned it to a satisfactory degree on his own, he summoned 20 more clones, splitting them into groups of 5. One clone would be in the middle while the others would dash around him. After and hour or so more of doing things in his mind, though it is only been about a few minutes in the real world, he decided to up the ante.

Sending a mental command out for the clone in the middle to dispel and taking in the info, he told his clones to gather while summoning up 20 more. "Now, in groups of four, one of you will sit in the middle while the other three dash at you. The one in the middle has to dodge the incoming attacks. When the one in the middle feels like he has gotten good at it, or he is hit and dispelled, he will give us all the experience and one of you will take their place." Knowing that he'll suck at this in the beginning and not wanting to stop and create more clones every two seconds, he made about 60 more clones. Feeling a bit tired, he stopped to catch his breath while sorting through the memories his clones were giving him.

When he he felt recovered five minutes later, he felt as though he could probably dodge with decent proficiency. "Wow," he muttered, "shadow clones are cheap as hell..." he trailed off before smiling deviously. "I love it." Looking up at his group of clones who started without him, he sent a mental command for them to come at him. Closing his eyes, he got into a ready stance. He felt them circling him, and the one directly in his normal blind-spot rushing him. Smirking, he dodged to the side, only to feel on coming in from his left and another jumping at him.

Moving forward under the one that jumped and simultaneously dodging the one approaching from his left. He then spun, pushing the fist of the one on his right away, before back-flipping over one that came from behind. Getting better with every dodge, combined with the shadow clones feeding him extra experience every once in a while, Naruto soon felt as though he could tackle Kogo's obstacle courses, or at least the first one. '_I don't wanna get cocky here. For all I know, she put a trap underground, or she just wants me to notice and react to every little thing. Time to find out, I guess.'_

Walking up to Kogo with his eyes still closed, he asked her if she thought he was ready for an obstacle course yet. Obviously, she said **"Yes, but you may want pants for the course. Any of them. Oh, and a blindfold so you don't peek." **Nodding in consent, and mild joy, he gave himself pants and a blindfold. He poofed the pants directly on, which he could do, this being their shared mindscape.

Going up to the course, he put on the blindfold, but not before noting that Kogo came to watch him do this, a mischievous smirk on her face. Putting the blindfold on, he decided to comment on it. "I feel like this will suck. A lot."

* * *

2 Mindscape hours later

* * *

Falling to the floor in a heap, Naruto laid there for a while, panting, before glaring up at Kogo. "Okay, I'm fucking done. Dual walls of senbon flying at me faster than I'd be able to see NORMALLY, at least 5 swinging trunks, and poles that pop out of the ground at random intervals trying to make me just a bit more feminine! I'm surprised there wasn't a fucking boulder to fall on me and tiles on the floor that started moving sporadically as lava slowly poured down from walls that rise and fall at random intervals."

Giggling a bit at his suffering, she decided to give him a piece of information. **"If it makes you feel any better, you just predicted the first half of the next one perfectly. Now you can prepare yourself mentally."** Hearing him groaning at this, she decided to cut him some slack. **"Okay, how about I just activate your youki and we call it a day. Tomorrow, we'll work on making your chakra solid."** As he picked himself up, she grabbed his hand and pulled him up. As he was about to say thank you, she began to channel her youki directly into his system. Clenching his teeth, he stopped himself from crying out in pain. Eventually, she stopped and before he could yell at her, she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, sending him out out of his mind and into the real world again.

* * *

Real World

* * *

Blinking rapidly, Naruto took a moment to let the last few seconds register for him. When they finally did, he started blushing up a storm. Trying to get his mind off of it, he chose to do some more training. Looking up, he saw that it was still early in the afternoon, maybe around 4. Getting up and stretching, he pondered what to train. _'Well, since I just got my youki, my control over it probably sucks. Welp, time for clones!... I feel like I'm cheating in some way, but I can't bring myself to care.'_

Shrugging his shoulders, he was about to make some clones when Kogo decided to say something. **'You should make as many with chakra as you can, then try your youki. It'll be a good experience for you, and your normal reserves will probably be refilled faster. Not sure, but it's worth a shot.'**

Nodding at her logic, he did just that. Making the maximum amount of clones he could in one go and noticing with some surprise that the number was higher than before, he asked Kogo one thing. 'Now, how do I actually use it?' He could feel her face palming inside his head. 'HEY! I'm new to this, okay!'

**'I know, I know. And it's kinda my fault for expecting you to just know how to do it. Now-' **

Here, she was cut off by Naruto. 'Let me just check on my clones for a sec. I feel like they are trying to figure it out right now, and if one of them figured it out, it could save you the explanation.' Looking up at his clones, he was about to call out to the group to ask whether any of them knew what they were doing when one of the clones began to gain an outline. The other clones looked where he was to see the clone glowing an ominous, flame-like, black aura before being covered in it.(A/N: Think Ichigo's Incomplete Fullbring, but don't worry, he won't get it. Maybe an ability or two though...)

That only lasted a second, however, as he was quickly revealed, holding the ram sign, as someone who wasn't Naruto and yet was. His hair had tuned black and fell down his head smoothly instead of spiking up as per usual, and his skin seemed paler. The clone had actually grown about two inches, and his eyes were glowing ominously as he looked at himself. _'Holy shit! He looks just like Haiso.' _Looking up, the only thing the clone said was, "Whoa." All of the gawking Narutos nodded in agreement; that described it better than any scholar could.

Snapping out of his shock, the original dispelled the successful clone and, as the memories went to all of them, he ordered them to begin practicing. As they did their job, he asked Kogo something. 'Kogo-chan?' **'Yes Naruto-kun?' **'WHY IN THE FUCK DID YOU NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT!?' Hearing her laughing but offering no response, he just sighed, blocked her out, and decided to try and do it himself. _'Okay, so he was able to draw on it as he was getting angry at his lack of success. So I guess it's connected to my emotions.' _Clearing his mind, he brought up any negative experiences he's been through. _'Not that I have a lack of those.' _he thought a bit bitterly, getting rather angry as he remembered his life to this point. _'Who are they to decide who and what I am!? My existence is my own to define however I wish, as whatever I wish!' _he thought as he remembered the scalding whispers of "Monster" and "Demon" along with the occasional attempts on his life. _'I've walked through the village as Haiso and they are all smiles! They treat a possibly lethal stranger better than they treat a five year old who has lived among them and done nothing wrong his entire life. They each hold enough hate to suffocate Tsuchi no Kuni, yet I'M the one treated like a monster!"_

At this point, Kogo was shocked. _**'How the hell does he have so much! I know the seal has been working for five years, but his youki has only been increasing second hand, in... proportion to his chakra! Shit! If gives off too much, anbu will sense it and assume that I'm trying to escape.' **_**'NARUTO! STOP! If the anbu find you training, they'll alert the Hokage, or maybe even kill you outright!' **

Seeing that her words weren't doing anything to abate the flow, she tried a different approach. **'Naruto, think of Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame! They were always kind to you, even when your presence hurt business for them. Not everyone is blind in this village, and you know it.' **

At this, Naruto's anger started to recede before ceasing completely. 'Thanks Kogo-chan. I needed the assist there.'

He could hear her huffing in his head. **'Damn right you did! It's a good thing that no active ninja's live in this part of the village, else you'd be knee-deep in shit. Apparently, we need to think of a way to let draw on it without going on a rampage... Actually, I got it. Wait for your clones to gain a good handle on controlling smaller amounts first. You aren't ready to go further.' **Hanging his head in shame at his lack of control, he nodded.

Sighing, he decided to go on a walk. He finally noticed a somewhat large influx of information coming at him. Looking over to his clones, he saw that about half of them were still standing, while others seemed to be fighting for control of themselves. Narrowing his eyes, he gave an order. "If any clones lose control, I want them dispelled. I don't want a single person to know about this, so we can't have any rampaging clones." Just for good measure, he made 20 more clones. "These guys will be responsible for taking care of those who go out of control. Now, get to it!" A resounding "Hai" swept through the clones as the resumed training.

* * *

1 hour later

* * *

As Naruto was making his way through the park, he heard someone sniffling among the sound of laughter. 'I'm not sure if I should bother, Kogo-chan. It could just stir up some more trouble for me.'

**'Why don't you just find out if it's worth your time for yourself. I can't really say; my sensing range only extends as far as your own maximum while I'm stuck in here.' **

Looking around, he saw that there was barely anyone in the park at the moment. Deciding it was fine if he checked it out, he jumped into the trees and stealthily made his way to the sounds. What he saw made him a bit angry. Three boys, each seeming to be about twelve, were harassing a girl around his age for whatever reason.

Trying out more of the perks for his chakra control, he tried channeling a little to his ears. Though the influx of sound overwhelmed him at first, he managed to focus on their voices. What he heard made him much angrier, though he quickly reigned in his anger. "Ha! You must think you're better than us, you Hyuuga prick! You're all so stuck up, always acting so high and mighty. It makes me sick!"

Then another chimed in. "Why don't you try bowing to us for once, huh?"

He finally heard the girls voice, though just barely due to how soft it was. "B-but father s-said n-not to b-bow t-to a-anyone else."

"We don't give a shit about what your father said," the third boy began, "we told you to bow, bitch!"

As he was saying this, he took out a kunai. _'Shit, they're in the academy! This makes what I'm about to do a bit more difficult, but from what Haitatsu-obaa-chan told me, they've dropped the academy standards by a lot.' _Sighing, he jumped down, grabbing the third boys hand as he was about to put the Kunai's tip to her face.

"You know, attacking a member of any Konoha clan, let alone a member of the Hyuuga's main family, can be enough to warrant jail time. You're lucky your still minors, but that'll change when you graduate in 6 months. I can keep a secret 'til December...," those words were enough to make them worry, but the next thing he said was the real killer. "But I doubt she can." Paling at his words, knowing they were true from their final year classes, the began to panic a bit, though they tried not to let it show.

"W-well, whatever," the one with the kunai said, trying to pull his hand from Naruto's grip, "you won't get the chance to tell anybody!" As he said this, he ripped his hand out and thrust the kunai at Naruto's head. Scoffing at how slow he was moving, he grabbed the boy's hand and, channeling chakra to make sure it was brutal, casually broke the boy's wrist. A resounding snap was heard by both the now frightened Hyuuga girl and both remaining boys.

Grabbing the boy whose wrist he was still holding by the shoulder, though he had to reach up to do it, he threw him into one of the surrounding trees, knocking the boy unconscious. 'Ya know, Haitatsu-baachan may be a slave driver, but it was really effective.'

**'I think that goes without saying. These boys are six months from graduating from the academy, and your just tossing them around. Literally.' **

Mentally nodding in agreement, he focused on the situation he was in again. He turned around, happy to see that the boys were scared, but disappointed to see that the girl he saved was as well. Deciding that he didn't feel like playing around anymore, Naruto rushed the other two boys, channeling chakra to his feet. As he seemingly appeared out of no where behind them, he got a wave of clone memories, causing him to stop in his tracks. The boys looked around frantically, trying to find where he'd went. Once they found him behind them, they both took out kunai, though they were preparing to run.

Grinning at the boys and making them sweat a bit more, he chose to try out his new found youki control. Building up a small amount youki in his feet and channeling some to his eyes, going for the glowing effect, he told them something that gave them some hope. "You have five seconds to get out of my sight." As he said this, he put up five fingers, and began counting down aloud.

"5..." The boys glanced at each other then their downed friend, before they ran towards him.

"4..." Naruto closed his eyes and extended his chakra as they ran back in the direction of the park's path, directly behind him.

"3..." One of them, the one with the body of his friend over his shoulder, tripped, sending his unconscious friend into the boy in front of him, sending them all to the floor.

"2..." Scrambling to their feet, they left their friend's body lying there, trying to get away.

"1." At this point, Naruto released the slight build up of youki in his feet for one burst of speed. He knew their exact location, due to the technique Kogo had taught him earlier. Looking up at the older boys, he decided to have a little fun. Keeping his eyes supplied with youki, he walked towards them, making the stumble back and fall on their asses. Leaning forward, he placed his head between theirs. They were frozen, looking straight at where he appeared in fear.

He began to whisper in their ears softly. "I can still..." as he trailed off, he put his hands on their shoulder before channeling youki to his vocal cords, trying to replicate Kogo's voice in her fox form. **"See you!"** With that, both boys passed out, as small stain appearing on both of their crotches.

As they fell backwards, he walked back to the clearing where the Hyuuga girl was still on the ground, staring at where they went in fear, her Byakugan on.

Naruto, on the other hand, was laughing his ass off, and he could hear Kogo doing the same. **'HAHAHA! OH MY GOD! DID YOU SEE HIS FACE! HAHAHA! He was all like "OH SHIT, OH SHIT, OH SHIT!" That was fucking amazing Naru-kun!' **As they both caught their breath, Naruto turned his attention back to the girl who seemed to be looking at him in fear.

Trying to calm her down, he chose his words carefully. "Don't worry. If were here to hurt you, I would've just joined in with those douches." He gave her a small smile before continuing. "So, my name's Uzumaki Naruto. What's yours?"

Finally accepting that he didn't want to hurt her, she got up off the ground before bowing to him. "H-Hinata. Hyuuga Hinata. A-arigato, Naruto-san. I-" She stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Just Naruto is fine. Hearing -san at the end of my name still feels weird." Nodding in acceptance, she was about to correct herself when they both heard a different voice. "HINATA-SAMA! WHERE ARE YOU, HINATA-SAMA!?" The voice got closer and Naruto could sense a large chakra entering the clearing. Asking Hinata something quickly, he pulled her off to the side. "Do you know that person, Hinata?" Getting a nod and a somewhat sad look as a response, he asked a follow up question. "Do you want to go to them?" Getting a slightly reluctant shake of the head as a response, he made up his mind. "Okay then, we're going to have some fun!" He said this before grabbing her in a bridle style and, using a burst of his continuously better controlled youki, blurred out of there.

* * *

Business District- Outskirts

* * *

Finally coming to a stop on the roof of his favorite ramen place, he jumped onto the street and put her down. Swaying on her feet for a moment, she grabbed Naruto's shoulder to stop herself from falling. Scratching his head in mild embarrassment, he apologized. "Sorry about that," he began, his eyes twinkling mischievously, "I'll give you a warning before going so fast next time."

Now, it was Hinata's turn to blush. She may only have been five, but she'd learned enough by spending time around drunken branch members to know what he was talking about. Burying her face in her hands, she turned away.

Chuckling, Naruto went around her and puller her hands away from her face. Stopping his laughter, he apologized. "Gomen, gomen. It's just that..." as he trailed off, his eyes got somewhat sad. "I've never really had many friends to mess with before. I just wanted to get the most out of this." Here, Hinata looked at him in a confused manner. Elaborating, he continued. "I'm an orphan you see. But the people at the orphanage were against me for... stupid reasons. Since they'd tried beating me twice and I didn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me all depressed, they denied me any social contact with the other kids."

Seeing her shocked and pitying look, his eyes hardened. "Don't go feeling sorry for me now; I hate that stuff. Let's just have some fun!" Pushing the curtains of the ramen stand open, he walked in, asking her a question of the utmost importance. "So, have you ever had ramen before, Hinata-chan?" She shook her head and he froze. At that exact moment, Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku's, noticed him. "Hey Narut-" His greeting was cut off abruptly as Naruto blurred in front of the counter, barking an order at him. "Oi, Teuchi-ojii-san! We have an emergency! Ramen deficiency, CODE RED! I need a bowl of miso, ASAP!"

Nodding his head gravely, he whipped up a fresh batch of miso ramen as quickly as he possibly could. While this was happening, Naruto gestured for her to take a seat next to him. "How the hell have you not had ramen before!" Squirming in her seat at his intense gaze, she responded, "W-well, tou-sama d-doesn't let me have m-much of anything unhealthy."

Recoiling in shock at the last part of her response, he passionately responded. "How is ramen unhealthy! It's, it's...," he trailed off, thinking of the best way to say what he wanted. Snapping his fingers, he continued. "It's absolutely divine! A gift from the gods, to mortals who are lucky enough to understand its greatness. It's so good that people could die from it! Mere mortals aren't supposed to deign in the realm of the gods; we are lucky to have this taste of heaven, and all should enjoy it to the fullest." He finished with fire in his eyes that made her almost believe him. Almost.

"I s-suppose I could g-give it a try."

Smiling in triumph, he put his arm around her shoulder. "That's the spirit Hinata-chan!" Here, she began to blush. The only people to ever hug her, hell to even touch her, were her Uncle Hizashi, her tou-sama, her cousin Neji, and her kaa-san. And now Naruto. _'Is this what it's like to have friends?' _she thought to herself.

At this point, Teuchi came out with two bowls of ramen in his hand. "Here you go, little lady. You too, Naruto; I figured you'd want your normal shoyu ramen, even if you didn't order one." Embarrassed that he forgot to order his own ramen, he thanked Teuchi before saying one thing. "ITADAKIMASU!" With that out of the way, he began to eat. Deciding to give a good first impression, he decided to employ the manners he learned from Haitatsu. Beginning to eat at a still relatively fast pace, he looked over at Hinata to see her about to take a taste. Her first taste of ramen.

He stopped and looked at her with intense eyes that made Kogo laugh. **'Oh my, Naruto-kun. You seem to love staring at this girl. Have I been replaced?' **He forced down the blush coming from her words and focused on Hinata. She put the chopsticks to her mouth slowly, agonizingly slowly to Naruto. He could hear his heartbeat in his own ears as he waited.

Two agonizing seconds later, her face brightened. Naruto sighed in relief; his ramen had come through. Moving on to his own, he ate in contentment. Deciding that he didn't like silence that had come over them, he broke it.

Finishing his current slurp, he asked, "So, what's it like being in a clan like the Hyuuga?" Hinata stiffened at the question, but answered anyway.

Finishing her slurp, she gathered her courage, which she's found easier since they met, and answered, "Well, it c-could be better. We have so many people there, but I feel so alone. M-my uncle, Hizashi-oji, is nice enough, but he has a son. My cousin, N-neji-nii, used to be very nice to me, but a year or so ago, he began to get very d-distant. My t-tou-sama and kaa-san are pretty good to me, but tou-san has been c-cruel in training me recently, since I'm the heir of the c-clan, and my kaa-san had my baby sister, Hanabi, three months ago, so she hasn't been able to do much. I know she cares, but Hanabi t-takes up most of her time. The rest of the clan is polite, but they're as warm as a b-block of ice."

Naruto nodded in understanding; he'd met his fair share of cold people, and they weren't very pleasant to deal with. "Well, cherish your family while you can. You never know what could happen, you know? Plus, you could just train with me outside of your training sessions with your tou-san. My sensei has been teaching me pretty well, so I could probably help."

At this Hinata nodded happily before replying. "I go on a walk pretty oft-" She was cut off as someone tapped on Naruto's shoulder. They both turned around to see Haitatsu standing there with a small smile.

"Oh, hi Haitatsu-baa-chan!"

Nodding at him, she responded in kind before telling him something that made him rather surprised. "We won't be training today Naruto, nor for the rest of the week. I went by your house to let you know, but you weren't there, so I came here. Regardless, I have something to take care of, so training's off for a bit."

Nodding in acceptance, he gestured to Hinata, who was beginning to feel a bit awkward. "Haitatsu-baa-chan, this is Hinata-chan. Hinata-chan, this is Haitatsu-baa-chan. She's the one I said was training me."

Greeting each other, they both turned to Naruto to say something when another person burst in, byakugan blazing. "HINATA-SAMA! I FINALLY FOUND YOU!" It was Ko Hyuuga, Hinata's personal body guard. Seeing them staring at him, he went about composing himself and deactivating his dojutsu before he walked over to Hinata.

He stopped and gave her a small glare before asking, "What do you think you're doing here, young lady?"

Squirming under his gaze, Hinata replied softly, "I w-was spending t-time with my n-new friend, Ko-san."

As he heard this, Ko's eyes softened and he smiled softly. He knew that she had no real social contact outside of her family and was happy she had made a friend. "Well, Hinata-sama, you should've told me first. Also, why were there bodies where I first felt you chakra? And how did you just...disappear?"

Seeing her look to him pleadingly, Naruto sighed before saying, "That may have been my fault, Ko-san." Seeing Ko give him a look that said "Explain now, or die.", he hurried on. "Three boys were giving Hinata-chan trouble. It was just them messing with her before they forced her on her knees and told her to bow. They were insulting her and your clan, though they were probably just jealous. I figured the conflict would've dissipated on it's own, but then one of them took out a kunai and was about to put it to her face. At that point, I jumped in and broke the wrist of the boy with the kunai. I just scared the other two, and they passed out, so they're fine. They might be a bit shaken up, but they'l all be fine... eventually."

Kogo chose this time to chime in. **'Even if you get in trouble, I say it was totally worth it to see the look on the boys' face.' **

Giving a mental nod in agreement, he turned all of his attention back to Ko, who was looking at him oddly. "And how did you disappear?"

Looking to Haitatsu for confirmation, he got a nod, which was all he needed. "Well, Haitatsu-baa-chan here is a retired anbu and she heard I wanted to be a shinobi. I work for her as a mail courier in the morning and train with her after she's done working. I've been doing that for about a year by now, so I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself. I'd place myself around low chinnin in every thing but genjutsu and speed. I'm fast enough to outrun an anbu but not very good at most illusions. Didn't really need them to make a new friend though." At the end, Naruto sent Hinata a small grin.

Ko, on the other hand, continued to stare at him. He seemed to come to a decision before saying one thing. "I'd like you to come with us... when you are done, of course." Looking to Haitatsu for some sort of confirmation, all he got was a shrug before she said she had to get going and left.

'Well, Kogo-chan, what do you think?'

**'I think you should go, obviously. You need to see that this village isn't ALL bad, and better sooner than later.' **

'Hey! I don't think this village is all bad! I just think it's mostly bad. Most of the people here are monsters in disguise; even Haitatsu-baa-chan admitted to that.' Huffing in his mind, he returned his focus to Ko again and said, "Sure. I'll just be a second." Quickly finishing his ramen, with Hinata a few second behind, he went to pay for it before Ko stopped him.

"I got this. It's the least I can do." Shrugging, Naruto thanked Teuchi for the ramen before going with Ko out of the stand. As they exited, Ko asked Naruto to do something. "Would you grab my arm... oh, how incredibly rude of me. I never got your name." Hinata decided to give a small introduction for both of them. "Ko-san, this is my friend Naruto-kun. Naruto-kun, this is my body guard Ko-san." Naruto extended his hand upward to Ko, with a polite smile. "Nice to meet you Ko-san. But please, just call me Naruto. "Naruto-san" feels weird to me," he greeted, which was responded to in kind. "Now, Naruto," Ko started, resuming where he left off, "grab my hand for a second." Doing just that, he grabbed his hand before they were shunshin-ed else where.

* * *

Hyuuga Clan Compound

* * *

As they appeared, Naruto felt the last of his clones dispel, marking the end of his training for the day. Letting go of Ko's hand, he looked around and noticed two things. One: it was getting rather late, around 8:30 at the moment. And two: he hadn't seen where they were in a while. "Why am I at the Hyuuga Compound?" Ko was surprised that he recognized the area and voiced it, but he didn't like the response he got. "Two years ago, itching powder."

Ko felt a random itch pop up when he thought of the incident. Ignoring it and Hinata's confused look, he lead both Hinata and Naruto into the compound. The guards looked at him strangely for having Naruto with him and Hinata, but said nothing to him.

As he made his way through the compound to Hiashi's office, Naruto was looking around in wonder. 'Ya know, I didn't really get to enjoy the beauty of this place the last time I was here.'

**'You couldn't hear me at the time, but I was laughing my ass of when the Hyuugas were itching. It was amazing! Though, I'm surprised you were able to get by their eyes.' **

'Well, many of them are cocky fucks, so they wouldn't imagine someone would dare to try and infiltrate their compound. The guards normally have their eyes off, though they did occasional sweeps.' Looking around some more, he caught a glimpse of Hinata staring at him, though she turned away the moment he made eye contact.

**'Looks like my Naru-kun has a secret admirer!' **

His extremely intelligent response was 'What?' He heard her giggle but offer no response. Giving a mental roll of his eyes, he focused on the real world, taking his body off autopilot just in time to bump into Ko. "Ah, gomen Ko-san. I was kinda distracted for a second." Ko just nodded his head in acceptance before gesturing for Hinata to follow him into the room they'd stopped in front of.

As Naruto attempted to follow, Ko stopped him. "You'll be called in in a moment, Naruto-san. I must discuss something with Hiashi-sama."

Stepping into the office with Hinata on his heels, he bowed to Hiashi before addressing him, drawing the Hyuuga's attention from the paper work in front of him. "Hiashi-sama, I have returned with Hinata-sama."

Nodding, Hiashi commented, "You are rather late, Ko-san. I hope you have a good reason."

With that, Ko went on to recount what he was told of the events that occurred while Hinata was out of his sight. Once he had finished, Hiashi asked, "Where were you during all of that, Ko-san?" There was a slight edge to his voice, one that made Ko slightly nervous.

Despite this, he answered. "I was looking for Hinata-sama. We had stopped for a cinnamon bun and she'd slipped away."

At this, Hiashi diverted his attention to his daughter who was now finding the floor to be the most interesting thing in the world. "Hinata," he started, his tone making it clear he was serious, "while I am impressed you were able to escape from a jonin's view for so long," here, he paused to give Ko a look before continuing, "I hope you now see why I'd given you a guard to begin with." Hinata nodded, surprised that her father wasn't scolding her. "So, who is the boy that saved you. I'd like to thank him, when next I get the chance."

Happy that neither she nor Naruto were in trouble, she answered, "His name is Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto." At this, the ever stoic Hiashi widened his eyes marginally, "And he's outside the door."

He nodded at the last part; he'd imagined that Ko would bring the boy he had mentioned, and there was a person outside the door, so he assumed that the person outside the door was the boy Ko had mentioned in his tale. He hadn't thought the boy would be the jinchuriki to the Kyuubi no Yoko and resident pariah of Konoha. Thinking for a moment on his next course of action, he nodded to himself before speaking. "I wish to speak with Naruto. Alone. Please send him in and wait outside for a moment."

Nodding in compliance with his wishes, Ko stepped out, with Hinata in tow, and told Naruto, "Hiashi-sama wishes to speak with you. I advise you remain polite, because one negative comment from him could ruin your life." Deciding he'd said enough, he let Naruto pass, which he did with newfound reluctance.

Stepping into the room, he closed the door and locked eyes with Hiashi, and they just stared for a bit. Naruto was the one to break the silence.

When he did, his voice was even and calm, though still held its childlike tone. "Hello, Hiashi-sama." His child like voice did nothing to lower the oddly tense atmosphere in the room.

"Hello Naruto-san," Hiashi began before getting up and standing in front of Naruto. Much to Naruto's shock, he bowed before continuing. "Arigato," he said as sincerely as he could. "Domo arigatogozaimashita(A/N: Thank you very much, I believe). I'm not sure what would've happened to my daughter otherwise. Your actions are truly appreciated." As he rose from his bow, he met the gawking stare of Naruto. In the silence that followed, he continued. "I will gladly give you some type of recompense. The Hyuuga do not leave a debt unpaid. Even under such... unfortunate circumstances as yours."

* * *

A/N: Aaaaaand CUT! Damn, that took a while, but I feel like I accomplished something. I am not dissatisfied with my work, but I feel as though something is missing here. Regardless, I chose to lighten Naruto's outlook on the world a bit, though he still won't really be a good guy. I'm probably going to show snippets of training that he's doing, just so you guys know what he can do. Also, in regards to character, there may be some ooc moments coming up. Not absolutely certain yet, but they may be coming. On another note, I want you guy's(or gal's) opinion on something: should Naruto still get the Toad contract? I have a plan for no contract and an alternate plan for a different contract, but I wanna know if you guys wanna see him with the toad contract. I didn't and still don't see how they fit him, but it was nice in the show/manga. Also, the current date in the story is June 27th, directly three months after Hanabi was born. Most people don't know the birthday's of the Naruto characters, so I decided to incorporate them into the story. One more thing before the harem: do you guys want me to not give as many explanations in this story? I have changes from cannon that will probably need some sort of explanation, but I don't know if I should just give them to you then, or explain it in bits and pieces as things progress. A bit of feedback on that would be greatly appreciated. Now, to the harem:

(In bold=confirmed; Italics=probable, but could change; Normal=Possibly)

**Kogo(Fem Kyuubi)**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

**Fem Sasuke**

_Fem Gaara: 1 vote( I kinda like this one.)_

_Mei: 1 vote_

_Yugito: 1 vote_

_Tayuya: 1 vote_

_Temari: 1 vote_

_Ino_

_Anko-Love this one, but Iruka may not be getting any otherwise._

_Fem Hidan- Surprised no one wants something new. Huh._

_Matabi(Nibi): 1 vote_

_Tenten-Not sure how I forgot about her before, but I enjoy this pairing._

Fem Kakashi(Not the biggest fan but I'm willing to try)

Kin(If Temari and Ino are both confirmed, then she goes to Shikamaru)

Shion

And fuck Sakura. I reconsidered it, and I don't like her.

Thanks for the input so far. If there are any complaints about the story, just let me know! If there are any mistakes, tell me, and I will go and fix them. Constructive criticism is welcome, flames are not. Let me know if you want english techniques or japanese techniques. If you want japanese techniques, please say whether you want translations next to it or at the bottom, or if you even want translations at all. After maybe two more chapter, I'll just choose what I wanna do for the techniques. Thanks for taking the time to read my story! R&amp;R!


	4. Two Little Words: Kage Bunshin

A/N: Well, I don't like long author's notes in the beginning, so I'll just say what I gotta say. Ahem... DAMN! My last chapter more than doubled this story's length. I doubt I could do that again. Oh, and in response to , I don't plan on having any of them fall in love with him instantly. What Hinata has is just a combination of hero worship and a childhood crush. And Kogo just has her normal perviness. Now, onto the juicy bits. Harem will be... ah fuck it. You guys know by now. Oh, and jutsu will be in Japanese and translated at the end to English.

* * *

Kage Bunshin \- Jutsu(I don't think I'll be having NINJAS call out their moves that much though. It will probably be made fun of a lot in this story.).

**Bring that ass here.** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech/thought.

_What do fingers taste like? _\- Thought/Flashback stuff.

WELL GOOD FOR FUCKING YOU! - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication(which will be present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

* * *

_**Recap:**_

Stepping into the room, he closed the door and locked eyes with Hiashi, and they just stared for a bit. Naruto was the one to break the silence. When he did, his voice was even and calm, though still held its childlike tone. "Hello, Hiashi-sama." His child like voice did nothing to lower the oddly tense atmosphere in the room."Hello Naruto-san," Hiashi began before getting up and standing in front of Naruto. Much to Naruto's shock, he bowed before continuing. "Arigato," he said as sincerely as he could. "I'm not sure what would've happened to my daughter otherwise. Your actions are truly appreciated." As he rose from his bow, he met the gawking stare of Naruto. In the silence that followed, he continued. "I will gladly give you some type of recompense. The Hyuuga do not leave a debt unpaid. Even under such... unfortunate circumstances as yours."

_**And now:**_

Naruto blinked in surprise, his practiced stoic expression falling for a moment. Recovering, he looked him dead in the eyes before responding. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Hiashi-sama."

Looking somewhat amused, Hiashi just stared at Naruto for a moment before continuing. "I'm sure you do. No ninja in their right mind would train a container that didn't know of their burden. You're getting instruction from a retired anbu black-ops member. Just about every adult knows of your burden, and everyone with the rank of Elite-Jonin, Clan Head, and Anbu is required to be well informed about things of such importance. Unfortunately, this puts me in a delicate situation, Uzumaki-san. I'm sure you've been taught by your sensei that you are very valuable to this village, military wise. If I were to really do anything to you, good or bad, then I'd be put in the spotlight even more than I already am."

Nodding his head, Naruto responded, "I understand, Hiashi-sama. Personally, I don't really require anything. I make enough money for what I want, I am satisfied with my training, and I am happy living where I am, as odd as that may sound."

Now it was Hiashi's turn to be surprised, though it didn't show through his practiced visage of stoicism. Sating his curiosity, he asked, "And where exactly do you live, Uzumaki-san?" Cursing mentally at himself, he answered, albeit with some reluctance, "In... the Redlight District."

This time, Hiashi's surprise did show. His eyes widened noticeably, and his eyebrows rose half an inch, which is a lot for him. Composing himself, he gave his response to that. "I mean no disrespect, Naruto-san, but how are you happy there?"

Here, Naruto leaked a bit of anger through his own stoic mask. "Because they treat me better than just about anyone else in the village. They may not like me too much, but they give me the respect of a normal human being. When I walk out the door, the first thing I get isn't a scalding remark like "Oh, you woke up today? How unfortunate." or anything like I'd get almost anywhere else in this village. They acknowledge my existence and sell me things fairly. As long as I pay for myself like everyone else, I am treated like everyone else, even if I can see that some of them still don't necessarily like me."

Having said his piece, he waited for Hiashi to respond, though he was oddly silent, looking off into space as he was consumed by his own thoughts. _'He feels more at home in the company of prostitutes and drug dealers than that of a normal merchant or other children. This child knows how cruel people can be, and he has never set foot out of his home village. Our home village. How far have we fallen, Shodai-sama? He is no different from your wife, and yet, we hate him as if he is what he holds. Minato, I hope you don't kick my ass too hard when I die, for I know I deserve at least something for letting your son suffer this much.' _

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he focused upon Naruto once more. Steeling his resolve, he prepared to do what his wife would: be nice. Sighing, he finally responded to the child in front of him. "Well... I would feel bad if you received nothing. Would you like to stay the night, at the very least?" Naruto was shocked; apparently, Hiashi was as different from a normal Hyuuga as his daughter was.

Deciding it would be rude to not accept, he did exactly that, and accepted. Bowing, he said, "That would be greatly appreciated Hiashi-sama. I am in your care for the night."

Kogo chose now to butt in. While he was getting up from the bow, she said, **'You know, this is the perfect chance for you to get with that Hyuuga girl.' **

'Well, that would be taking advantage of her and her family's hospitality. Oh, and WE'RE ONLY FUCKING FIVE!'

**'Not mentally you aren't. In your mindscape, you pop up as 13 or 14, maybe even 15. I'm sure she's matured a lot too, being groomed to be a clan heir and all.' **

'This conversation is over Kogo-chan.' She just laughed at his dismissal.

Pulling his attention away from the laughing Bijuu in his head, he focused on Hiashi, who was about to continue. "Good, good. Well, I'll let you and Hinata play for a while, but she must be in bed by nine, and that's in 20 minutes. You may go to sleep whenever you feel so inclined. Just let me know when you are ready, and I'll have Ko-san show you to you're room. I'll probably be in here all night... again," he said, grumbling the last part, all the while experiencing the expected thoughts. _'Fucking paper work'_

Naruto chuckled, and decided to enlighten him. "Ya know, there is a very easy solution to paperwork, Hiashi-sama." At this, Hiashi snapped his head up, Byakugan blazing in order to detect whether or not he was lying. Continuing on, he said two words that made Hiashi feel really dumb. "Kage Bunshin." Hiashi was very silent for a moment before putting his hands to his face and letting out a very large sigh.

Pulling himself out of his stupor, he got up and bowed to Naruto. "I owe you one, no ten, Naruto-sama. I can now actually spend time with my family, and get even more work done than before. You may stay for as long as you wish, and remember, the Hyuuga will be on your side for as long as I remain clan head."

Naruto gave him a deadpan stare at that. _'I would've thought he'd have already thought of that and just found some flaw. Wow. Well, no reason for looking a gift horse in the mouth!' _Shaking his head in amusement, Naruto responded, "Well, I might just take you up on that, Hiashi-sama. I have been pestering my sensei to learn the Shunshin no jutsu for a while, so you could teach me that."

Nodding his head rapidly, an actual smile on his face, Hiashi responded passionately. "Done. I'll get you a scroll with the instructions tomorrow."

Happy at the thought of rubbing it in Haitatsu's face that he'd learnt the jutsu without her, he said, "Well, Hiashi-sama, is there anything else of importance?" Now Hiashi thought for a second before his eyes widened.

Composing himself, he asked Naruto, "What do you know of your parents, Naruto-kun." Ignoring the change in honorifics, Naruto decided to tell the truth, addressing Hiashi in kind. "I know of both of them, Hiashi-san."

Once more, Hiashi's surprise showed. Regaining his composure for the umpteenth time that night, he nodded and just said, "I won't ask how; you're entitled to your secrets. I am glad you trust me enough to tell me, even with the very real danger of me informing Hokage-sama." When he saw Naruto's eyes widen, he chuckled. "You didn't even think of that did you? Oh well, it's not as if it matters anyway. And, thank's to clones, I'll be going to sleep, so just ask Ko-san when you are ready to turn in for the night."

Getting up from his desk, he went to the door and opened it to find Hinata chatting with Ko about something he didn't bother to listen in on. Clearing his throat, he got their attention and went on to say, "We're done. I'm going to check on my wife before turning in for the night, Ko-san. Keep an eye on them both for me." With that, he away walked from the entrance of his office, revealing a grinning Naruto.

Walking out of the office, Naruto put his arm around Hinata before cheering. "Woo! Sleepover!" Hinata smiled at that, giving her own, much softer cheer. Ko just looked on with a small smile.

While this was going on, Kogo commented, **'You are rather open right now. I haven't even seen you smile around anyone other than me, Haitatsu, and the Ichiraku's in a long time.' **

'Well, I can feel these guys don't want to hurt me. I haven't recalled my chakra since I fought the boys, and, while it's a bit tiring, I can get a general good or bad feeling from people.'

Now Kogo was surprised. **'I'd have thought it would've taken you a bit longer to notice that.' **

'WHY DON'T YOU JUST TEACH ME THESE THINGS!'

**'You wouldn't gain as much if I just told you. Duh.' **

Mentally grumbling about "stupid demonesses", he took his body off auto pilot and took his hand of Hinata's shoulder. Looking around, he asked, "What do you guys have to do around here?"

At that, Hinata had to think. "Well, I never really had much to do. I go on walks through the village with Ko-san pretty often, but I don't do much here but train and tend to the garden with Kaa-chan."

Furrowing his brow, Naruto thought long and hard before saying, "Well, I got nothing else to do. How about you show me the garden?" At this, he paused, before a devious smile broke out on his face. "50 ryo(A/N: about $4.25 in American money) says I can get there before you." Thinking she had it in the bag, since it was her house, she agreed. "Okay, then, Hinata-chan. It's a race."

Kogo started laughing in his head at that point. **'Wow, Naru-kun. You are so mean. There's no way for her to know you already know the layout of this building.' **

'That's why it's fun. And I won't actually take the money. I just wanna see her face when I get there before her.'

Ko's voice broke him from his internal conversation. "It's rather late, so I'll wait in the garden with a lamp. Make sure you get there, both of you." Nodding, they both went to a door way and waited for Ko to be out of sight.

Giving him a few seconds, the looked at each other before, by unspoken consent, they began to count down. "3...2...1...GO!" They both went off, Naruto slowing himself down so Hinata could keep up in her kimono. Suddenly, Naruto took a left, going down a hallway that she remembered lead to a dead end. Smiling at the fact she'd win, Hinata pushed herself to go faster.

Naruto, on the other hand, got to the dead end but opened the window at the end of the pathway and jumped out, going to the roof and heading to the garden in the back. Reaching the end, Naruto dropped down, seemingly falling out of the sky for Ko, who was staring at the entrance to the garden, waiting for them. Jumping at his sudden appearance, he stumbled backwards, though he didn't fall.

As Naruto was laughing, he composed himself and asked, "How did you get here so fast?"

In response, Naruto just said, "Wait for Hinata. I hate repeating myself." Not 10 seconds later, Hinata came into the garden, panting a bit. Looking around for a second, she was shocked to find Naruto there. Before her.

In her normally soft voice, she asked, "H-how did you get here b-before me, Naruto-kun?" Ko listened closely, curious about just that.

Crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes, Naruto, in his best "wise old man" voice, said one word. "Magic." At that, Ko face-planted and Hinata sweat-dropped.

Getting up to Naruto's laughter, Ko glared at Naruto before asking him again. "Okay, how did you REALLY get here so fast?"

Naruto looked at him with his best innocent face, which was pretty good, and said, "You don't believe me, Ko-san." Receiving a deadpan stare in response, he chuckled a bit before responding. "Fine, fine. I took the roof." Now Ko was impressed, and so was Hinata.

Snapping them back to attention, he asked, "Weren't you gonna show me your garden, Hinata-chan. I'd say you have about six to seven minutes before your bedtime." Nodding at the reminder, she went about showing Naruto the garden she and her mother tended to.

She went on and on, and before they noticed it, she'd spent over half an hour just talking to Naruto about the garden. While she was explaining the meaning behind the Amaririsu(A/N: Amaryllis in English) Naruto looked up at the sky, seeing how high the moon had gotten. "T-this one is my favorites. It m-means shy, a-and Kaa-chan always said I w-was a bit shy. I g-guess I ju-"

Naruto cut her off there, though he tried not to be rude. "Uh, Hina-chan, I think it's gotten a bit late." Looking back, they saw that Ko had fallen asleep on a stump on the other side of the garden, and Naruto got an idea. "Uh, Hinata, do you have any whipped cream?" At her nod, he smiled. "Good, I am going to introduce you to the wonderful world of pranks, and teach Ko not to fall asleep on the job at the same time. Go get that, and maybe a marker while you're at it, and I'll search for a feather near the trees. Oh, and make sure it's a permanent marker." Hinata wasn't too sure about doing it, and voiced it but all she got in return was "Don't worry about it. I got most of your clan with a big one a while back, and I was fine. This one is very tiny in comparison." Her fears abated, she went ahead and got the stuff while Naruto searched around the trees for a feather.

Two minutes later, they were both done with their part and reconvened at Ko's sleeping form. "Okay. Now," began Naruto, "the first thing we do is draw on his face. You can do anything you want. I'll even let you go first." Gesturing at Ko with an exaggerated motion, Naruto stepped aside. Hinata rolled her eyes before thinking for a moment.

After choosing a design, she drew a flower around Ko's right eye, adding sparkles for emphasis. Naruto looked on, impressed. "You seem to have a talent for this."

Blushing, she responded. "A-arigato, Naruto-kun."

Naruto thought for a moment on his choice, before deciding to go old school. Holding out his hand to Hinata, he said, "It's time for the pro to show exactly how this is supposed to go." He put his signature whisker marks on Ko's face before adding something completely necessary: a dick near his mouth. Stepping back, he admired it before deciding it was missing something. Adding a few squirts of jizz flying out of the tip, he stepped away, completely satisfied with himself. "Tada!" he said, moving from in front of Ko and showcasing his work to Hinata. She began to blush the moment she recognized it, but giggled none the less. "And now," began Naruto, "gimme the whip cream."

Receiving it from her, he went on to explain the prank while putting whip creme on his hands. "We'll cover his hands in whipped cream, and when one of us tickles his nose with the feather, he'll move his hands to brush away whatever is there, thus smearing whipped cream all over his face." At this point he finished covering Ko's hands with whipped cream. "I'm not sure which hand he'll use, so I did both. Regardless, when he goes and washes it off in the bathroom, he'll see the drawings. When he tries to wash them off, he'll find that they're in permanent marker. From what I can tell, he'll put us both in our rooms before going to the bathroom, so listen out for his reaction to the drawings, but pretend you're sleeping for a few minutes afterward, or just go to sleep."

Plan set, Naruto decided that Hinata could be the one to tickle his nose. Handing her the feather, he contacted Kogo. 'I know you've been watching Kogo-chan, but I think you should make sure you have some popcorn ready for this.'

At this, Kogo giggled before responding. **'Way ahead of you Naruto-kun. Besides, this is my mind... your mind... our mind? Fuck it, all I know is that I can make things like popcorn just pop** **up.' **

Nodding at her assessment of the whole shared mind/body situation, he focused on Hinata. Before she could do it, Naruto remembered something. "Wait!" Hinata's head snapped towards him. "Do you have a camera?"

Giving him a deadpan stare, she said, "Y-yes. But shouldn't w-we hurry up before h-he wakes up?" Nodding, Naruto responded. "And that is exactly why we need a camera." Seeing her confused look, he elaborated. "He is never going to let this happen again. The moment he wakes up, we're done, at least for the whipped cream. This being your first time... hehehe... I want it to be memorable." Hinata actually managed to suppress her blush and nodded. Running off as fast as her Kimono covered legs could carry her, she went off to get the camera."

Meanwhile, in his head, Kogo was a bit annoyed. **'You're delaying on purpose, aren't you?' **

'Well, think of it as a bit of revenge for the comment about me screwing my newest friend. At five.'

Sighing, Kogo nodded, not that he could see it. _**'It IS a bit fair... I'm still gonna get him back though.' **_Staying silent, she let that be her response.

At that moment, Naruto felt Hinata enter again. "Good, good. Now go do it. I'll be taking a picture. Make sure you don't do it too much. Tickle a little, then back off, then tickle some more, then back off. Do this until he brings one of his hands up. Actually, fuck it; I'm taking a video." Hinata nodded, a bit camera shy. As Naruto started and gave her the thumbs up, she did exactly as instructed. Tickling his nose a bit, she waited for him to stir before backing off. Going back for more, she did this until his right hand came up to swat away whatever was under his nose, inadvertently swearing the whipped cream on his hand all over the lower part of his face. Waking with a start, Ko came to to the sight of Naruto laughing his ass off on the ground while Hinata had her hand in front of her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter... and failing.

It was then that Ko noticed the feeling of whipped cream on his face and both hands. He looked at his hands to confirm before his head snapped to Naruto, and he glared, byakugan activated. He was about to storm over to him when he noticed Hinata breaking down in laughter in front of him.

Smiling at the scene, he decided to let bygones be bygones and even found the scene rather amusing as well. Letting out a chuckle, he rolled up his traditionally long and baggy Hyuuga sleeves to look at his watch. Seeing the time, his eyes bugged out. Cursing to himself, he made his way over to them both before clearing his throat.

As they both stopped laughing, they looked up at him and were about to breakdown again. Stopping them in their tracks, he said, "Sorry to ruin your fun, but it's far past your bed time Hinata-sama. Hiashi-sama will have my head if he notices that you're too tired tomorrow." _'And that's only if your mother is busy.' _Holding out his hands, he pulled the laughing children off the ground, and lead them to their rooms. Arriving there, he missed the wink Naruto gave Hinata and the mouthing of "Listen for it" and just went to his room after making sure they were both in bed.

As Naruto sat in his bed for the night, he contacted Kogo. 'I give him two minutes before he screams.'

Scoffing, she replied sarcastically.**'Well don't you have a high opinion of him. He's a fucking jonin, at least from his chakra, and he's tired. He probably just shunshin-ed to his room.' **Nodding at the logic, he reviewed his earlier assessment. 'Fine, half a minute, a minute tops. He still has to go into the bathroom; I doubt he has a mirro-' He was cut off as he heard a scream of "NARUTO!" ring through the building. Both of them were silent for a bit before Naruto went into his mind, after letting his body go limp on the bed.

* * *

MindScape

* * *

Appearing in his mind, specifically Kogo's house, naked as per usual, he let out his pent up laughter. Kogo was right there with him, laying across the couch in her mind-house and laughing away. As they both came down from their laughing high, Naruto asked her something. "So, what are we gonna do tonight?"

Feeling rather mischievous , she responded. **"We can do anything you want, Naruto-kun." **

With a mutter of "Ero-bijuu", he thought about what to actually do. Coming to a decision, he asked, "Is there anything else you can tell me about the seal? I think I'll understand it better now, since Haitatsu-baa-chan started me on intermediate fuinjutsu a while back, and I'd say I'm pretty far along."

Nodding her head, she thought for a moment on where to start. Choosing a spot, she began. **"Well, when I was sealed, your beloved tou-san," **at this, Naruto growled a bit, **"split me in half, literally. With the help of the motherfucking Shinigami, which I still think was overkill, he ripped my yin half from my yang. I am actually the yang, while my other half, the yin, is currently held within your father. Due to the seal he used, applying the Hakke no Fuin Shiki** **to the Shiki Fujin, both you and he have a version of me in your body that is now fueling you. He is supposed to be in the Shinigami's stomach at the moment, or at least his soul is supposed to be, but that can't be true because the seal you and he bear is powered by your respective souls. I've been examining the current seal on you, and it seems that he sealed away a bit of both his and your mothers soul into you, though my access to them is blocked. It's set to go off as a fail-safe if you ever seek to release the seal holding me here." **

At this point, she paused both to collect her thoughts and let the information sink in for him. After a second or two of silense, she continued. **"Now, if you manage to find your father's body, you'll probably find less than half of his soul stuck within his own mind while his body is just about dead. Not completely, since the life force of the other me is being drawn in from nature and drawn into him in an infinite loop, but the body hasn't moved, and probably hasn't seen sunlight in a very long time. Your father is most likely alive, if just barely, to power the seal he bears." **Having said her piece, she waits for him to respond.

Naruto, on the other hand, looked at the ground for a long time before looking up at her. His eyes were slits, but she felt no extra drain on her youki. When he spoke, despite the anger visible in his eyes, his voice was calm. "Is there a way for you to get back your power?"

Relieved that Naruto hadn't lost control at the fact that his father was still, technically, alive, she responded. **"You should learn some more fuinjutsu first. The Shiki Fujin isn't something you should tamper with until you are able to understand it fully. Until then, get as good at controlling your chakra as possible; it will end up spiking considerably if I manage to get my power back, though I'll still probably be a girl thanks to the Shinigami. Fucking Shinigami, making all this bullshit permanent." **She muttered the last part under her breath, though Naruto still heard her.

Chuckling at her dislike for the deity, he asked, "Is there anything we could train in right now?"

Smiling maliciously, she gave him a response he was dreading without knowing it. **"Obstacle course. You managed to pass the first one in a single night, so I'm sure you'll do fine." **As he paled, he made his way to the back, knowing that there was no use in resisting.

* * *

Real World- Next Morning

* * *

As he opened his eyes, Naruto was extremely glad that injuries in his head didn't carry over to his body. Pulling himself out of bed, he went to say bye to Hinata before he remembered he had the day off. As he was about to cheer out loud, he covered his mouth, remembering that he naturally woke up rather early at this point. He also noticed that his chakra had receded into his body sometime in the middle of the night. _'I probably just need to get it to the point it's second nature to me.'_

Opening his door, he extended his chakra once more, allowing a mental image of the area he was in to form before he made his way towards the place he remembered Hiashi's office being. As he arrived, he was met with the sight of five Hiashis working on different stacks of paper as one of them sat in a chair, relaxing with a smile on his face.

When he set foot in the room, Hiashi opened his eyes, greeting him. "Good morning, Naruto-kun." Nodding, Naruto opened his mouth to say something when he was forced to catch a scroll. Looking at what he had caught, he saw that it was a scroll with a name on it. _'_

_Shunshin no Jutsu eh?' _After mentally reading it to himself, he looked up at Hiashi and said, "Thanks. So, how are you enjoying your free time, Hyuuga-sama?" At this, Hiashi just waved him off. "Please, just call me Hiashi. You saved my daughter, saved me from paper work, and gave me ample time to spend with my family all in one day, probably even saving my marriage. If anything, I should be calling you Naruto-sama right now."

Hiashi chuckled at Naruto's shocked look before continuing. "To answer your question though, I'm actually just a clone. The real me is sleeping in right now. Only a few people are actually awake at the moment; it is a holiday after all." When Naruto looked confused, he laughed lightly. "Don't tell me you forgot? Today is in remembrance of the battle between Shodai-sama and Madara-sama." At this Naruto gained a look of understanding.

"Well," Naruto began, "I'm gonna go practice this new jutsu. Do you guys have any training fields I could use?" Hiashi nodded before giving Naruto directions.

Before he left, Hiashi stopped him, saying, "I'll send Ko to fetch you for breakfast, Naruto. I want you to meet my wife and newest daughter before you go." Nodding, Naruto proceeded to follow HIashi's direction to the training area.

Arriving at his destination, he opened the scroll and read it about three times to make sure he had it memorized. Feeling as if he did this to a satisfactory degree, he made 60 clones. As he watched the clones begin to practice, he contacted Kogo. 'I feel like such a cheat when I do this Kogo-chan.'

**'Well, it kind of is. You accumulate experience in a jutsu many times faster than anybody else. Most jonin can't train this way, yet your not even in the academy yet. Speaking of which, I know your plan is to join at six, fail twice, then graduate at the last possible year, twelve, as the dead-last, but I wanna know one thing: why don't you just join the academy when your eight? There are only four years of classes, you know.' **Having asked her question, she waited for Naruto to answer.

Sighing, he responded. 'Well, Ko-tan,' hearing that, Kogo growled slightly before quieting down down, her curiosity outweighing her dislike for that nickname. 'I WANT to be underestimated. By a lot. If I fail for two whole years before barely making it out on my final try, then people won't expect ANY of what I can do. If I just went straight to rookie of the year, then any who knew of my status would consider me a threat. And I know that other villages have spies here, leaking info. It's the case for all hidden villages. If I am the dead last who failed twice previously, then no one will pay attention to me, at least not considering me a threat.'

**'Well, why don't you, I don't know, go on a training trip? Kushi-chan had gone on a couple, and came back much stronger. Besides, you have the Hyuuga backing you, if the Hokage even needs permission from the counsel to let you leave. Then come back and graduate as the dead-last.' **

Thinking on it for a second, he responded. 'That's not a bad idea Ko-chan. I could get familiar with some other countries before I have to do missions there as a shinobi. I think I should try to finish up working off Haitatsu-baa-chan's debt before I go though. Who knows what could happen to her if I just left.' At that, Kogo agreed.

They were silent for a while, Naruto meditating while extending his chakra, both processing received memories faster and trying to extend his range as much as possible, though wanting to do it without clones for a while. He suddenly had an idea. 'Oi, Kogo-chan!,' he called, getting the attention of the probably napping bijuu, 'Maybe I could try learning how to solidify my chakra today. A chakra shunshin would look pretty badass to me.'

**'Sure. Better than just sitting around while your clones do all the work.'**

'Speaking of which, there are only two left. I feel like I'm good enough at the jutsu, though it's limits are stupid. Needing to know EXACTLY where you are going.'

Kogo giggled at his dislikes for techniques limitations. **'Once you get better with knowing your surroundings by chakra, you'll know your surroundings, and once your reserves are big enough, they'll be able to stretch across an indefinite length. You don't get to complain. The only draw back, both now and in the future, is that it's not instant, but it's still pretty damn fast. Besides, when your control is good enough, I'll teach you how to get around like I used to, and that shit was instant. Now, onto solidifying your chakra.' **

At this Naruto began to pay rapt attention. **'You already know how to saturate the air with your chakra. Now, you just need to condense it. For a normal person, they would need to have an insane amount of chakra in the air to even be able to create a pebble, but your chakra is potent enough, DENSE enough, that you will just need to learn control. Changing the density of one's energies is the basis for all yin release, which is used to give form to nothing, to create something when there is nothing physical to create it from. Anything you can envision and understand, you can create. Now, focus on the chakra you have in the air.' **

Doing as he was told, he focused on it and awaited further instruction. **'Now, try to bring as much of it into one area as you can, but be careful; the more chakra you bring into one area, the more dense your creation will be. You still need to pull a rather large amount; your chakra is dense enough that it can interact with your surroundings without being fully solidified,so you need to pull more than you would think. Now, the denser it is, the more mass is stuffed in the space you choose for the object. The more mass, the harder gravity will be pulling on it. It'll look and feel however you want it to, it'll be just as sharp or dull as your envision, hell, it'll even be whatever material you want it to be, but it might just fall to, or even into, the ground and be too heavy for you to wield right now.' **Taking her warning to heart, he tried drawing chakra together.

He only pulled a fourth of what he had within a foot around him into the space directly in front of him, choosing the form of a unfurled fuma shuriken. Trying to keep the chakra dispersed evenly in the shuriken, he began to pull it together, attempting to solidify it. After a few seconds, he created one, though it was all black. Grabbing it, he compared it's weight to the fuma shuriken he had practiced with when training with Haitatsu. 'It's a bit heavier than I intended, but the weight is even all the way through.'

Kogo nodded at his assessment, though he couldn't see it, but asked **'Is the sharpness of the blade up to par?' **Unsure, he checked the old fashioned way. Bringing the tip to his palm, he pulled with a small amount of strength. A trail of blood appeared, though the wound was already healing.

In the second it took him to return it to the ground and contact Kogo again, there wasn't even a wound anymore. 'Well, it cuts pretty well. I'll just create some more clones and have them practice that. The concept is rather simple, I just need to learn the correct amounts for a certain density.'

**'You should also start reading some anatomy books. I said you could create life before, but even if you choose to stay out of playing god, and I wouldn't blame you, you can still heal just about anything in a persons body, once you understand how it works.' **

Nodding, he responded. 'I feel like a serious cheat for doing this, but I'll just have a clone get into the library as Haiso and check out some books. I'll make a bunch of clones read it multiple times and dispel while I'm either in my mind for the night or asleep. Actually, I'll send one to get them now, and a few at my home to read.' He created a seal-less shadow clone to accomplish the task before continuing. 'I'd prefer to learn how to feel, refill on, and manipulate natural energy, if you think I'm ready.'

Kogo had to think for a bit. **_'I know he is good, but I'm not sure if he can handle all the power. It's very easy to lose yourself to this power. Hmm... Well, I can just force it out of his system, if worse come to worst.' _**

Finally giving a response, she told him, **'Sure. But I have to warn you, this power is no joke. This will take at least a year to master to a sufficient degree, and will boost your everything while your tapped into it, especially your sensing range. You have to truly learn to control you're anger, because if you use it in the village, you'll fell ALL of the hatred in them that is directed at you, even if it is not brought to the surface at the moment. And let me tell you, it's not a small amount. If you even start to go on a rampage, I will force it out of your system, and it WILL be painful. Extremely painful.' **Naruto agreed before asking, 'Where do we start?'

Beginning what was sure to be a long explanation, she said, **'Well, your going to need to attune yourself with nature first. This will be the easiest part for you, though this will be one of the parts I won't let you use shadow clones; this is going to feel and BE very intimate, so this should be you. With your chakra saturating the air, you are already close with nature. Just focus on the area at the edge of your range, where your energies taper off and nature's resumes dominance in your surroundings. Just feel for a while.' **Taking Kogo's advice, he just felt for a while. He sat there for the better part of an hour, just letting the feeling of nature's energy come to him, even when he did manage to find it.

He felt connected with life. He felt the death of an insect on the edge of a leaf in the training ground. He felt the birth of a rabbit in a burrow under a tree's roots a few feet away from him. He felt the curiosity of the very birds as they stared at him, thinking with primitive but functional sentience. He felt himself, and his own place within the flow. He felt his own energy in relation to that of all the living things around him, mixing and intermingling directly with them and the earth itself.

As he opened his eyes, he said aloud, "Wow."

In his head, Kogo nodded. **'That was my first response as well. As powerful as it is, you must never mistake this power as yours, Naruto-kun. The world can sense your greed, your anger, and it will either try and soothe you, or attempt to erase a part of you. Now, ask for the power, and you shall receive it. Keep in mind, this will be more than just gaining a power up, Naruto-kun. You will be making a sort of pact with nature. Even if you transcend into the realm of the supernatural, you may never facilitate something that is unnatural, something that goes against the order of the world, for example: forcefully overruling a beings natural rights and altering their being on a basic level against their will, modifying their bodies in grotesque ways to fit your own agenda. I know you don't believe you'd ever do this, and neither do I, but power corrupts Naruto-kun. You haven't built up to the level of power you are about to receive on your own; it's going to be a privilege, one that must never be abused.' **Naruto nodded, accepting the responsibilities that went with the power he was attempting to harness.

**'Now, to actually begin to harness this power, you have to achieve integration and understanding of the flow of nature. Just allow your chakra to saturate the air fully, pushing out as much as you can, and, again, feel for the point where your energies taper off and nature's become dominant once more. Slowly move outward from there, feeling out every change in concentration until you find yourself immersed in energy that is not your own. Then, attempt to understand what you will be feeling. The best way to begin understanding is to describe it to yourself. From then, you are on your own.' **Naruto nodded once more, and chose to move to the garden. He made some clones and ordered them to practice every jutsu he had below B-Rank at least twice, before moving on to chakra control with what they had left. Using his newly learnt Shunshin no Jutsu, he moved to the garden that Hinata had shown him last night.

Appearing there, he chose a rather shady spot under a nice, relatively large momiji tree. Getting back into his meditative stance, he pushed his mind to the furthest reaches of his sensing range once more, before slowly leaving his own chakra behind and exploring, well, everything. He felt out the energy of the momiji tree right behind him. It's energy was strong and gave a sturdy feeling, making him feel rather secure under it's branches. He searched around the garden, finding insects and small animals, feeling their connection with nature, as it was naturally stronger than his.

He found a squirel and focused on it, getting a good feeling of its mind set. He felt the hunger that it was experiencing at the moment, the need to survive in its mind. He went as far as to nudge it in the direction of some nuts he had brushed over previously, before leaving it to its own devices once more. Going out as far as the Hyuuga compound, he tried to find a person. He found one, and noticed that, at first encounter, the person felt rather similar to Ko. As he delved further, he noticed that the person was distinctly more feminine, possessing more grace in her very being than the sturdiness of rock that most Hyuuga's seemed to possess, and was on the move.

Focusing on her, he found that there were actually two people, though the one he had not previously felt was very similar and much, much smaller. He inferred that the chakra must belong to a daughter, a baby really. He then noticed their similarity to Hinata's chakra. Though he "saw" all of this from a detached point of view, he still was able to retain enough of his normal personality in his current state to think _'Ah, so this is Hina-chan's mom and baby sister.' _

As they entered the field of his own chakra, he was able to bring a full picture of them into his mind, as his ability with natural energy sensing was not yet very good. He noticed that expressed some feeling of accomplishment at finding him, as if he was one she was searching for.

Seeing as he was about to be interrupted, he chose to end his little escapade with nature there. As he attempted to pull his mind back to his own body, he found some difficulty. It was as if his very being wanted to remain connected with nature on such a personal level. After a few seconds, he managed to pull himself back into his normal state of being, though he felt rather enclosed as he did.

Attempting to alleviate the feeling, he kept his own chakra stretched to it's limit, which worked a bit. Before opening his eyes to address the approaching Hyuuga matriarch, he contacted Kogo. 'That was... amazing Kogo-chan. Once I managed to get outside of my own chakra, everything felt so... connected, complete even. I when Hinata's mom and sister got in my range, I could feel them inside and out, even their clothes became clear. I could feel the sun's rays being absorbed by the plants, being converted into more energy that all the plants just seemed to radiate. Every bug, every little animal, they all felt like an extremely bright light, and as they entered my range, it was like the glare was being removed from a picture, and everything became clearer.'

**'That is only the tip of the iceberg, Naruto-kun. The deeper you manage to immerse yourself, the more you will feel. Air has it's own energy, light does too. Eventually, you won't even really need your eyes; you'll be able to sense colors too. You have a long journey ahead of you. Next time, I'll teach you how to tap into the vast amount of energy you were feeling, but for now, you have a visitor, and she's been waiting patiently for you to come out of this trance.' **

Nodding, Naruto addresses the Hyuuga matriarch before opening his eyes, surprising her with both his lack of "sight" and his voice, which seemed to be... ageless, at that moment. "Hello, Hyuuga-sama," he began, opening his eyes and turning to her in one fluid motion. "I'm sure you know my name, but I'll introduce myself regardless. I am Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you miss..."

As he trailed off, he waited for her to fill in the blank he left for her name. Smiling at the boy, she gave her name. "Kosen, Hyuuga Kosen, though you can just call me Kosen."

Nodding, Naruto responded with a smile. "Well, It is nice to finally meet Hinata-chan's mother, Kosen-san."

At this she got up. "I am sure it is, but breakfast is being prepared, and I came to get you. But first, I must say one thing." Before Naruto could get up, she bowed to him, saying, "Arigato, Naruto-san" By now, Naruto had broken out of the nature induced stupor and was back to his normal self, and with that, the bow was making him a bit uncomfortable.

"Ah, don't bow to me Kosen-san. I was just following my own form of justice. Oh, and please drop the -san. It makes me feel... old." With a more childlike personality back in place, he got up and put his hands behind his head, grinning. "So, how is little Hanabi-chan." Seeing her confused look, he said, "Hinata-chan told me about her when we were talking yesterday."

Nodding in understanding, she smiled down at the bundle in her arms. Bending over slightly, she said, "Why don't you ask her yourself?" Naruto jumped up and peered into Hanabi's face. As he saw her curious eyes, he smiled before tickling her neck. "Well, how are you, Hanabi-chan?" As she giggled, she grabbed his finger, beginning to play with it.

As he pulled his finger back, smile fading a bit, he asked, "So, how about we go meet up with your family? I was getting kinda hungry out here." With that, they made their way to the dining area, where Hinata, Hiashi, and some other main branch members were waiting for them.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's that. The chapter had a lot more... happiness in it than I would normally be writing, but this builds up to something else I have planned. He won't be as happy as he is for long; I do plan on making this a grey/dark Naruto story, so shit will have to hit the fan at some point or another. Also, I recommend you guys pay attention to the dates. It is currently June 28th, and the Uchiha Clan Massacre happened when Sasuke was six, and his sixth birthday is on the 27th of July, which is approaching, and I have some plot changing shit planned for that. On another note, I won't do every day of their lives, but I do have a progression of events planned out... sorta. To be honest with you, I just make up most of the specifics as I go. Also, I've been trying to choose names that reflect parts of the personality of characters, if you didn't notice. Haiso is delivery, which is what he's been doing, Haitatsu is derived from the japanese term for postman, since she works in the post office, I took Shido's name from part of the word for leader, since he's the boss of the yakuza there, Kosen means ray of light, and she'll be a bright but serene person, and I have more for the gender bent characters. Now, onto the Harem, which is always the most important part of these.

(Bold=Confirmed, Italics=Probable, Normal=Possible

**Kogo(Fem Kyuubi)**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

**Fem Sasuke**

_Fem Gaara: 3(Tied for lead!)_

_Mei: 1_

_Yugito: 2_

_Tayuya: 1_

_Temari: 2_

_Ino: 0(Surprised at the lack of Ino love.)_

_Anko: 2_

_Fem Hidan: 3(Yay! Was gonna do this one anyway, though. :P)_

_Matabi(Nibi): 2_

_Tenten: 0(Damn, kinda like this one. Nobody else? Really?_

Fem Kakashi: 1

Kin: 0(Not a single Kin fan, eh. Alright by me, I guess. Less back story to create.)

Shion: 1

Any girls you like that I left out? Review, and recommend her! Anything about the story you don't like or I forgot? Let me know and I'll respond! Speaking of responses, to , I won't make them fall in love upon seeing him. I hate that. A relationship takes some time to grow, normally at least, and to StackerWlf, I needed the human trafficking as a later plot device. Regardless, READ AND REVIEW! Thanks for taking the time to read this.


	5. Saving the Snake: Bonds of Loneliness

A/N: Well, my people, I must say that I am planning to be a dick to Naruto soon. I mean, he'll still have a life, but shit is gonna hit the fan in a chapter or two. I don't have too much else to say here, other than the fact that I'm sorry about the dealy, since regents week has me with no full days of school for a week, but multiple test that impact my grade vastly, so on with the story.

* * *

Kage Bunshin \- Jutsu(I don't think I'll be having NINJAS call out their moves that much though. It will probably be made fun of a lot in this story.).

**You hurt my bunnies!** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech/thought.

_Well, ain't that a bitch? _\- Thought/Flashback stuff.

I has CUPCAKES! - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication(which will be present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

* * *

**_Last Chapter:_**

..."Ah, don't bow to me Kosen-san. I was just following my own form of justice. Oh, and please drop the -san. It makes me feel... old." With a more childlike personality back in place, he got up and put his hands behind his head, grinning. "So, how is little Hanabi-chan." Seeing her confused look, he said, "Hinata-chan told me about her when we were talking yesterday."

Nodding in understanding, she smiled down at the bundle in her over slightly, she said, "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Naruto jumped up and peered into Hanabi's face. As he saw her curious eyes, he smiled before tickling her neck. "Well, how are you, Hanabi-chan?" As she giggled, she grabbed his finger, beginning to play with it.

As he pulled his finger back, smile fading a bit, he asked, "So, how about we go meet up with your family? I was getting kinda hungry out here." With that, they made their way to the dining area, where Hinata, Hiashi, and some other main branch members were waiting for them.

_**And Now:**_

As he walked into the dining area, he felt a clone dispel from reading one of the anatomy textbooks a single time, though another one was apparently taking its place(A/N: I won't be writing in all of these instances anymore, unless they play a role. Just know that clones are generally going to be doing things like this.). Focusing on the around 10 Hyuuga Main family members assembled before him, he quickly took to bowing. "Hello, Hyuuga-samas. It is an honor to be here." He was well aware that some of the Hyuuga were still sore about the itching powder incident, so he didn't want to make it any worse.

They had all noticed him as he walked and turned their heads. Half nodded in recognition of his greeting, while the others either narrowed their eyes in his direction or just turned away. Deciding that they were just being, well, Hyuugas, he removed his sandals, so as to not damage the seemingly expensive tatami mats before making his way to the table. _'I gotta thank Haitatsu-baa-chan for those lessons on manners. They've been REALLY useful lately.' _

As he sat down, he remembered to kneel, as this seemed rather formal to him. 'This family isn't too warn, is it, Ko-chan.'

**'Nah, they're just extremely formal. Your tou-san was pretty good friends with Hiashi when they were on a genin team with Kushina-chan, but that's when it was just them. In public, he was the poster boy Hyuuga: cold, detached, air of superiority, etc. It's kinda like their job, being the proverbial royalty, the generic kind.' **

As they were talking, Kosen took her seat and all the Hyuuga were ready. Taking notice, he said a hurried 'Talk to you later.' to Kogo and snapped to attention. They all put their hands together and gave a soft "Itadakimasu" before they began to eat.

Once they were finished, Naruto made his way over to Hinata, grinning widely. "So, Hinata-chan," he began, "I have no clue what to do right now. Oh, and did you see Ko-san during breakfast?" He began to snicker lightly now. "You could still see part of the balls on his face! He was REALLY trying to make sure no one saw. I'd say we did a good job, though."

Hinata was giggling behind her hand, and Naruto was trying to hold it in... and failing miserably. As they both were having their moment, Naruto just barely noticed Ko approach them, and he couldn't react in time. Since all the Hyuuga member, sans him, Hiashi, Kosen, and Hanabi, had left, he got behind Naruto, made a fist, and brought it down on his head with a considerable amount of force. Naruto bit his tongue and it started to bleed, though said bleeding was over in under 5 seconds.

As he swallowed the blood, figuring he didn't want to damage the mats with it, and glared at Ko, who glared right back. After their little staring contest came to an end, both of them turning away with a "Hmph!", Naruto noticed that Hiashi was giving him a look that said "Just apologize already".

Sighing, Naruto turned back to Ko and said, "Ah, gomen. It's just that you were asleep and I couldn't pass up the opotunity to say I get the better of a Hyuuga. It won't happen again... probably."

He shrugged at the last part. **'You suck at apologizing sooooooo much,' **Kogo chimed in. '

Meh,' he responded. 'I wasn't sorry; it way too funny for me to actually be sorry.' Looking back at Ko, he noticed that Ko seemed disbelieving, and rightfully so.

Deciding that he'd had enough, he began to take his leave. "Well, I think that I better get going. Even though it's a holiday, the training must continue!"

Hinata looked sad at that. "C-can't you just t-train here, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto thought for a moment, even consulting Kogo. 'Should I? I doubt I can train my nor your youki here, or much of anything else, really. If any of them had just seen my chakra in the air, I'd have been questioned relentlessly and brought to the Hokage for gaining strength without their knowledge.'

**'Ah, I doubt the old monkey would be mad at you, but he is the village leader. He'd probably just want to make sure you weren't a threat. The council, on the other hand, would tear into you. Regardless, you shouldn't stay. I remember one of Kushina-chan's favorite training grounds; I'll lead you to it.' **

'Ah, okay then.' With his mind made up, he answered Hinata. "Sorry, Hinata-chan, but shinobi have got to have some secrets, and with your clan's "all seeing eyes", it'll be kinda hard to keep mine. But don't don't worry," he quckly continued, seeing her hopeful look become downcast, "I'll leave a clone here to train/play with you." He sighed in relief as he saw her face light up again.

Kogo saw a chance to tease him and took it. **'Aw~! You're so sweet, Naru-kun!' **Naruto ignored the comment, though one could see a light blush on his face.

He quickly said his goodbyes, made the clone he promised Hinata, and Shunshin-ed out of there. Appearing in the middle of his roof, he dropped to one knee. "Holy shit, that took a lot of chakra! Didn't think going that far would be so... taxing." As he waited for his chakra to replenish, which it was doing at a steady rate, he talked to Kogo. 'So, where is this place. Should I go first, or should I go get the rest of the intermediate and the final tier fuinjutsu books from Haitatsu-baa-chan.'

**'Both. Have some clones read and practice that, though you should practice it yourself afterwards. Ya know, to build up muscle memory.' **

'Doesn't that get transferred too?'

**'Well, kinda. It's not your hand doing it, so YOU aren't used to the motions, you just KNOW them really well.' **At this point, Naruto, who had his reserves refilled enough, had two very sudden, but rather important, thoughts.

Getting up, he asked Kogo said questions. 'I have two questions, before I start that. One: do you think I could create a variant of the kage bunshin that DOESN'T halve my reserves? And two: when my reserves refill so quickly, is it from increased flow from you?' Kogo was surprised at both questions, though for different reasons.

The first because she hadn't thought of that one and the second because he hadn't noticed it on his own. **'Well, Naru-kun, I'll answer these in order. You probably can create a clone like that, though it will take a lot of trial and error or some sort of seal... probably. You need a certain amount of chakra for the physical apparition of a clone to be able to interact with its surroundings, similar to solidifying chakra, as I'd shown you earlier. Similarly, you don't need the physical appearance there for there to be an interaction, just a dense enough concentration of chakra or youki. It is much easier with youki, but you don't have the control yet; keep practicing that. **

**'Now, onto the other question. No, there isn't much of an increased flow, though it is a little. I'm surprised you didn't notice this, but YOUR youki filters into your own chakra system, and it's still, and will probably always be, more potent that your chakra. So, in essence, this means a hypothetical drop of youki is the same as a, let's say, mouthful of chakra. Your youki has a direct line from mine, since it is pretty much the same thing. This is how it's purified and leaked into your chakra, through your youki. I'll just sum this up before I get into advanced theories that I've created over the years. Your chakra is being constantly being refilled by your youki at a rather large rate, now that you've awakened it, and said youki is being refilled by my youki, since the seal just drains it into both systems. Your body has easily adapted to the constant flow, letting you expend your chakra and get an auto-refill from both me and your youki. Like I said, since you awakened your youki, it's the preferred path for my youki to flow, so MOST of it flows there, where it passes through into your system. It's actually rather efficient, since the youki refining process that is done by the seal can be skipped almost entirely. Once you master fuinjutsu, you can just edit that process out, since you can take direct youki now.'**

To say Naruto was stunned would be like saying Hashirama and Madara had a minor scuffle every so often. 'Damn it Kogo-chan! This opens up sooo many possibilities, now that I actually KNOW! I would've focused on fuinjutsu a long time ago, not just since you told me about my father.'

At this Kogo nodded. **'And that's exactly why I didn't tell you about it. If I had, you wouldn't be able to beat an experienced chunin into the ground using pure taijutsu, without youki mind you, while they were pulling out all the stops. You are strong enough to really begin branching off now, so it's now that I'm telling you these things.' **At that bit of wisdom, Naruto came down from his temper tantrum and apologized.

'Sorry, Kogo-chan. I wasn't thinking. So, what should I do first.'

**'Give me control of your body for a while.' **As she felt he was about to protest, she quickly continued. **'I promise I won't touch you in any place you wouldn't like.' **Feeling his face shift into a deadpan, she revised what she just said. **'Okay, I won't touch anything you don't want me to. Better.' **At his nod, he made the clone to get the books from Haitatsu and about 30 to read, reread, and practice the books and their contents before he went and got a change of clothes. After changing into a black t-shirt and dark green cargo-pant, he relinquished control and was pulled into his mind.

His hair became wild, his already rather defined canines became, in essence, fangs, his whisker marks dakened considerably, and his sharper than average nails became claw-like. **"Oh, it's been a while since I was out," **said Kogo in a more feminine yet vastly more powerful voice that one could mistake for a man's, flexing his/her hands and stretching a bit. **"You've got to let me stretch my limbs some more Naru-kun; I haven't come out for 3 months now!" **

'Ah shut up. I am working on a way to let you out without killing me anyway. Fuinjutsu mastery will help a lot, so you just gotta wait.' As a pout appeared on Kogo-Naruto's face, she just did a seal-less shunshin to the place she wanted him to go, knowing the layout perfectly from being inside Kushina.

* * *

Unnamed(for now) Training Area

* * *

As she appeared inside a fenced off area, she told Naruto **'Here we are! My favorite place in this shithole village, and Kushina's third favorite,training ground 44! Or the Forest of Death. Whichever you prefer. It was her favorite place to train though.' **As she let Naruto come back into control of his own body, she said something that left him feeling somewhat uneasy. **'Make sure you pay attention to EVERYTHING in your sensory range. That one skill is the only reason I think you can handle this place. Oh, and Kushina was always confronted here by this Orochimaru guy and his student. I think her name was Anko. Regardless, by now, the most dangerous thing in here is probably her.' **

He nodded, and pushed his chakra to its maximum range, trying to make sure he wouldn't miss anything. He immediately regretted it. As soon as he did, he found that all of the life was more, well, alive, pulsing with enough life energy that he didn't need natural energy to sense it. And it was dense too, vastly different from the plants and animals he'd sensed before. It was almost as if... 'Holy shit, Kogo-chan. These plant have youki running through them! It's not as potent as ours, but it's definitely there, mixed in with the natural energy. And... and it seems to be reacting with me an my chakra.'

Kogo was impressed. **'Wow, it didn't take you long to figure this one out. Yes, they do have youki, but they are visibly reacting to your chakra because it's, for lack of a better term, demonic. It has, and probably always will have, traces of youki in it, just mixed in. Youki has been running through you since before you were you, so it only makes sense. This wildlife will actually be devouring it at a pretty fast rate, so this is a perfect place for you to increase your reserves while maintaining control. You keep this level of control, and even increase it, while putting a strain on your coils from being constantly drained, which they will recover from by being able to give more. Before you leave for the trip, I want you to be able to spend three days and nights in here, without restocking on nature chakra directly. Also, this place is the easiest to teach you how to take in your surrounding energy. Now get to it; your time is limited.'**

Following orders, he found what seemed like an abandoned burrow of some large animal under a tree. Checking with the tracking abilities that were mandatory to learn under Haitatsu, he found that there was nothing here for a long while. Taking that as a good sign, he sat in there, making sure he was in the shade, and got into the same meditative sate he was in before. Immersing himself in nature, he made sure to anchor himself to his own being this time, not wanting another scare of being lost in nature's embrace.

Kogo felt that he'd accomplished it, so she began to instruct him. **'Okay, now we're going to have to take this slowly; this is your first time after all. Hehehe... Moving on, try and maintain this feeling of immersion and come back to your body. You should only take in an amount that you can balance with your mental and physical energies, so don't take too much, but you can just take in as much as the chakra you have in your body, proportionately. It is as potent as your youki, so use those proportions to take in a good amount. The training here will eventually bring up the potency of your chakra, but until then, you'll have to be very careful. Now, try to grab a "hold" on the natural energy.' **Naruto tried to do as he was told, finding it actually rather difficult. It was like trying to contain the water in a pool while you were submerged... without knowing how to water-bend.

It wasn't listening to him, which was getting him a bit frustrated, but eventually, Kogo decided to help him. **'Naruto, stop trying to just grab onto it and pull it in. I think I explained this poorly earlier. This is more like diverting a small stream of water from a raging rapid. You just have to divert a bit of the flow towards you, not subjugate it before attempting to assimilate it. No one can subjugate it. No one SHOULD subjugate it. Now, try again.' **Taking her advice to heart, he began again, slowly trying her method.

He found that, though it was just getting his proverbial feet wet, he was learning the ratio for his chakra to nature's. Eventually, he managed to take in an amount that balance with his chakra in two halves, though he found that natures was beginning to take over and he was freezing up. Sensing that he was about to panic, she stopped him with a solution. **'Don't worry, Naruto. Just release your hold on the flow and let your youki run freely through you. It'll easily balance out, trust me.' **Naruto found it easy to trust her, and did just that.

Cutting off the flow of nature's energy, he allowed his own youki to flow freely. As his energies balanced, he felt his body regain its mobility and then get stronger. And stronger. And stronger. And then even stronger. He felt like he did with his youki, but it was AT LEAST tripled. Opening his eyes, he wasn't aware of the changes to his body, but got up to try out the power regardless. He jumped into a tree with the same amount of chakra he would normally, but found himself above all the trees in the blink of an eye. Far above them. Looking down, he could only think _'fuck me' _before gravity resumed its job and slowed him to a halt.

Panicking at his lack of movement, he contacted Kogo. 'WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO!?'

She just laughed and said **'Chakra arm. You could've done this in your normal state; it should be easy now.' **Nodding hastily as he began to fall down to earth, he focused on the chakra he still had around him, noting offhandedly that his chakra wasn't being devoured by the wildlife anymore, and created a crude arm of chakra. In his panicked state, he didn't really pay attention to the amount, so he created an arm of chakra that was so dense that is was solid, not just dense enough to physically interact, having a majority solid black color, though it had a sort of green, teal-tinted outline(A/N: Think Ulquiorra Cifer's reiatsu.)

As he pulled a bit, he ended up falling down faster, though he swung as he reached the bottom of his fall. As he was coming back up, he began to really enjoy himself, as evident from the large grin that was beginning to form on his face. "This. Is. AWESOME!" As he shouted that, he felt, if only barely in his excited state, a large human female chakra in the direction he was headed, with a smaller, male one near by. Shrugging, he just kept swinging, slowly coming to a speed he could stop at easily.

With his casual speed, he arrived in about a minute, perching himself on a branch high above the scene. Taking it in, he couldn't help but sigh. What he found was a scantily clad, Konoha kunoichi, wearing just a short purple skirt and a mesh shirt, what looked to be her trench coat discarded on the clearing floor, and a rather plain looking chunin wearing the generic Konoha flak jacket and had a bandanna with his hitai-ate on it. As he focused on what was happening, he watched her walk up to the chunin, his face being cut a considerable amount and his legs shaking visibly, even from his vantage point.

With all the power running through him at the moment, he didn't even need to try in order to hear what she began saying. "So, you though you would play the "snake charmer" did you?" As she was saying this, his back was pushed up against a tree, his tree, and she was closing the gap. For the added effect, she licked a kunai that had a relativley large amount of blood on it, enough for it to be dripping. 'Uh, even though I think that blood is his, Kogo-chan, I still think that looked rather... hot.'

**'Oh, Naru-kun, I didn't know you were into that. I'll be happy to oblige, though.' **As she said this, she giggled suggestively in his head. Naruto was actually rather entranced, not even blushing at the suggestive words of his resident perverted kitsune.

Slowly, his eyes hardened as he registered the negative emotions radiating off of the lady. Trying to discern what exactly she was feeling, he asked Kogo, 'Do you know what the hell that feeling is, Kogo-chan. I've only felt a couple different feelings, but I can tell it's not a good one.'

Agreeing with him, she answered, **'That is the feeling of betrayal. And I'd recommend you get used to it; you're going to be entering the shinobi world, a world full of lies, deceit, and ordered betrayal of the ones you once called comrades.'**

Having informed Naruto on the little bit of information, Kogo fell silent. Naruto just stayed silent, staring at the scene in front of him whilst processing the information he'd been given. 'She's putting on such a convincing strong front, but... the emotion was, no, IS so strong that it's affecting me from here. I... I don't think I should interfere, since, from what she is saying, this guy may deserve it, but it seems like she might kill him. I don't think it was that serious; she may just be overreacting.'

**'Then how about you find out. You should probably be careful though; she looks like that Anko girl I told you about.' **Taking her warning to heart, he dropped down, just as she had stabbed two kunai into his legs and was going for his arms.

Sighing at the feeling that things were about to get really troublesome, he said, "Oi!" Both of their heads snapped to him. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I don't think torturing him is gonna solve anything."

Anko just scoffed, making the man flinch, and responded, "And I don't think you know who you're talking to, gaki. Now, I'm not sure how you got in my forest, nor why you're here, but I think you should be getting the fuck out of here. It's called the forest of death for being deadly, and I don't need the counsel accusing me of murdering a kid because you entered this place and got your sorry as killed."

Turning back to the chunin, she didn't notice Naruto's look of surprise. 'I thought most, if not all of the jonin knew me by this point. I understand a chunin maybe not recognizing me, but a jonin?'

**'Oh, you didn't know? Well, make a clone to look at you then dispel it. You'll understand.' **Taking her advice, he silently created a clone, making sure to use only chakra and waste none so that it wouldn't create any smoke, then he dispersed it once it got a good look at him.

Taking in the memories, he noted that his skin had darkened considerable and his hair had lengthened. He'd actually grown a bit, coming in at about 4 ft. 5 in.(A/N: 137.16 cm for those outside the U.S.) and his clothes had gotten a bit tight on him. His irises had become a deep teal-ish green, his pupils had become slits, and his eyes themselves had somewhat thin, tear-like markings running from under them.(A/N: Think Tousen from Bleach, but his skin isn't as dark and the Ulqiorra-esk markings are much brighter, so as to stand out more.) _'Note to self, both youki and natural energy cause transformations when in large enough quantities in which I don't look as good in these clothes as I do normally. Solution: learn how to make clothes out of chakra that can be dispersed and reformed with each change. Gotta look the part... Note to self, shadow clones are better than mirrors.' _

Nodding to himself, he walked up to Anko, and said, "I know who you are, Anko-san, and I don't care. All I know is that whatever this guy did probably isn't worth committing a criminal act over. I'm trying to help you here; just let him go."

Anko pondered this, or at least appeared to, for a second before saying one thing. "Okay, but then you have to take his place. If you know about me, still came in here, and got this far alone, then you'll be able to relieve a bit of stress for me, if you know what I mean."

Naruto easily said yes. _'She'll have to catch me first.' _The chunin, who had been looking at Naruto with hopeful eyes when he started saying that, crawled over to him after Anko had roughly yanked the kunai out of his legs and bowed to him. "Arigato! You have no clue how much this means to me, sir. I-I was sure I was gonna die."

Naruto rolled his eyes before answering. "Stop grovelling; it's pathetic." Doing such a pitiful action in his neighborhood was pretty much suicide, so this man doing it for a child he had just met was... appalling to Naruto. "Beside, you shouldn't thank me just yet; you haven't told me what you did to get her so angry." His eyes, which had been rather calm, if not bored, hardened and began to glow a bit, sending shivers down both his and Anko's spines.

"I w-was just teaching the s-snake b-bitch a l-lesson." he answered truthfully, a bit too truthfully. Naruto, while getting rather angry on the inside, managed to keep an even visage and asked one more question. "Yes," he acquiesced, "but what exactly did you DO?" The man stopped there, seemingly debating internally as to whether he should answer.

Anko took the initiative here and answered for him. "This little fuck somehow got it in his head that if he managed to "conquer" me, he'd be able to get any woman. So he came to me, tried to sweet talk me at my favorite dango shop a few times, and even followed me here after a week or so. The moment I decided to let him actually have a chance to talk to me, the little shit-head goes on some made up tangent about loving me from afar for a long time, but being too much of a pussy to say anything because of all the hate I get. It seemed sincere enough, so I gave him a chance, ya know, got to know him a little. For two months, two fucking months, he just kept trying, even when I turned him down. Eventually, he followed me in here and just tried to rape me, and now, he's getting his just desserts. Or at least he was. Now, he's being replaced."

As she finished her little story, she observed him, to see his reaction, though his reaction somewhat scared her and almost made the chunin piss himself. His eyes started to glow. Like actually glow. He could feel his youki flaring inside him, and the natural energy around him rush inside to keep up. He didn't know, but his sclera(A/N: the whites of one's eyes, for those who don't know the power of google) had turned from white to black.

When he spoke, he, impressively, managed to speak in an even tone. "I don't really care much about your "conquest", as sad and somewhat fucked up as it was, but...," he trailed off there, though his eyes had stopped glowing and everything had seemingly returned to normal. As he continued, he grabbed the man by his throat faster than either he nor Anko could follow. **"RAPE is one thing I will NEVER!-" **At this, he forced all the mixing energies into the man, burning his chakra circulatory system, mainly around his throat, causing him to scream. **"EVER!-" **He increased the flow on this word, actually damaging his throat, making ever scream hurt him further, and even making it last into the other parts of his body through his own chakra circulation bringing his with it. **"ALLOW!" **

Finishing his sentence, he pushed as much as he could, and the results were rather gruesome, though they made him smile. He stopped screaming, though he was crying uncontrollably, but that was because he couldn't control any of it. The youki in Naruto's system had corroded a lot of his insides while the natural energy had made his body start to freeze up on him. While he would live, his voice would be nonexistent for a long while, even with medical treatment. Just breathing was causing him pain, and eating was out the window.

Throwing him at Anko's feet, he leaned against a tree and watched, saying, "While I hold no real sentimental, idealistic values about general sex, what he was trying to get from you are the feelings and actions that should be shared between two people who truly love one another. A commitment of a lifetime. He attempted to worm his way into your heart, and then use you for his own gain for no better reason than he wanted to. I won't bother saving this trash; do as you will, Anko-san. I still don't think you should kill him, but you've already done too much to not receive a harsh punishment afterwards. Your choice..."

Having said his piece, Naruto just waited for her to make a move. Anko, on the other hand, had calmed down considerably, though her anger was still barely contained. She walked up to him, though he was trying to crawl away, and kicked him between the legs. Hard. When he screamed, Naruto winced and began to pity him before forcing the feeling down. 'I'm surprised he can even scream, but... Do you think he deserved that one, Kogo-chan?'

**'You shouldn't ask me; I'm a girl, and I will admit that I am biased against him here.' **

'True enough.'

Refocusing on the torture and probable execution of the chunin in front of him, he could only hiss in empathetic agony. He was no stranger to graphic scenes, having seen a few murders and helped out in the local whore-house for the yakuza, but to see an up-close castration wasn't pretty and made him feel... endangered. He covered his private area and prayed for the man's safe passage. In his head, he could hear Kogo loving the scene, but at the moment, he had nothing to say to her.

On a brighter note, he could feel the anger drain out of Anko as she vented, and the feeling of betrayal weakened, though it was still rather potent. After a while, she was just stabbing him in places to cause him pain, using the mandatory medical jutsu she knew to keep him alive.

Naruto just walked up to her, as she was on her knees, cutting and stabbing him repeatedly, and put his hands on her shoulder. "Okay, that's enough. You've gone past the point of justice, past even venting your anger, and now your just hurting yourself. Tormenting him any further isn't going to make you feel loved, it isn't going to bring anymore justice, and it isn't going to do you any more good."

As he was saying this, she was slowing down, eventually coming to a stop. He could feel the anger inside her slowly but steadily shift to sadness, but he felt acceptance too. "He's not even sane anymore; his body is just reacting on instinct... I don't know what you went through, but don't give up. If you truly want to find someone that accepts you, you'll look for them. Even if they aren't here, you'll find them; I know you will. Don't just accept your lot in life. Fight for a better one. Keep fighting, and fighting, and fighting, until you find someway to accomplish your goal."

At the end of his little speech, Naruto gave himself a pat on the back. _'Note to self: in case shinobi career goes no where, remember to practice motivational speaking.' _As he tuned back into his surroundings, he felt the feelings of sadness increase from Anko, but the acceptance had vanished. _'She'll get better.' _

At that moment, he noticed the tears that were rapidly beginning to fall from her eyes. Panicking, he asked Kogo. 'Ah, fuck! What did I do!? What DO I do!?'

**'I don't know. Give her a hug or something. Everybody likes hugs when they're upset; it's calming.' **

'You know more about this than me.' As awkward as he felt giving an actual hug, which he's had about 10 of in his whole life, to a stranger, he did exactly that.

Anko had been thinking on her situation; about how hopeless it was. _'The moment someone tries to get close,' _she thought, _'the moment I think I can be happy, somebody has to rip it away. Maybe this is how things are supposed to be...' _

When she heard Naruto's little speech, she thought even more on her situation in Konoha, but his words gave her hope that someone would accept her, despite her unwanted relations to Orochimaru. The second she felt him hug her, though, the dam broke.

The tears she'd been holding back for years just came out in this one moment in time. All the pain, all the anger, all the hatred both given and received by her, all of it came out. It was so strong, she could barely manage to say "I" before her sobbing regained control.

Naruto, on the other hand, was beginning to feel really awkward. _'I don't even know her!... Ah, shit, my shirt is kinda soaked, and she doesn't look to be finishing any time soon. Fuck.' _After a few minutes of crying, she just passed out. He laid her on her back, using her own trench coat as a blanket, and leaned against a tree on the other side of the clearing.

Seeing as she wasn't going to wake up soon, he took a nap, after sending a few clones to practice with the ethereal chakra constructs like the chakra arm while guarding the clearing and taking off his now soaked shirt. 'Well, this was rather eventful, wouldn't you say, Kogo-chan.'

**'I would. You are a pretty good speaker, Naruto-kun. I'm surprised you didn't sneak a peak when she passed out, though.' **

'Oh, I got more then just an eyeful. They were pressed up against my chest, and she doesn't wear anything under the mesh, so they were in plain sight for my entire time here. Not that I'm complaining.' He yawned, and slowly fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

A while later, he awoke, feeling the blood rush to his head. Opening his eyes, he saw the dead body of the chunin from before along with Anko, her trench coat back on, in front of him while he was upside down. Looking down, well, up, he saw himself tied up by some snakes.

**'Uh, Naruto-kun? I'd recommend you just release the natural energy so that you can shrink and escape easily.' **Mentally agreeing with her, he put on a confused look before glaring at her. "Why in the nine levels of hell am I tied up? I helped your ass!"

Anko just smirked before replying, "Yeah, and thanks for that, but you also got a free show, and you agreed to take his place." She gestured at the chunin before walking up to him menacingly. "I hope you're more durable than he is..."

Naruto just sweat-dropped at that. "I was the one who told you to stop. Hell, you fucked up my shirt!" he responded, gesturing to his shirt that was sitting next to where he went to sleep. Anko blushed at the memory of breaking down in front of him before regaining her composure.

"Well," she began, "I have a reputation to maintain, so I can't just let you leave after that."

At this, Naruto let the grin he had been holding in split his face. "Who said you had a choice?" Here, he pushed the natural energy out in one big burst, both dispelling what were apparently summons and shrinking at the same time. Landing on his feet, he sprinted, finding himself noticeably slower than he was before. Shrugging it off, he employed his normal anbu escape tactics, weaving in and out of trees, using burst of youki to go faster than just about anyone else, and making sure to break a branch he'd used every once in a while.

Anko, on the other hand, was just shocked that it was the "kyuubi brat" she'd been talking to the whole time. Shaking it off, she just used the summons that she had station around to capture him, injecting a powerful paralyzing toxin into him so as to keep him immobile for a while. "Well, well, well, would you look at this. I just caught myself a Naruto."

Naruto glared at her as best he could from his position on the ground. The poison was quickly being worked out of his system, but the effects would last for another minute at least. "Well, since you just helped me, I think I'll throw you a treat. You can't reveal that I told you this one, 'kay?" She waited for a response before seemingly remembering the fact that she'd paralyzed him. "Oh wait, you can't even talk. Well, I'll just say it. The reason you're hated is-"

As she was about to drop what she thought was a bombshell, he got enough of the poison out to be able to talk and cut her off. "Kyuu-chan, yea, I know." Anko could only stare at him in shock, both because he knew and the fact that he was TALKING before a full minute had gone by from the poison's effects being felt.

Then, she registered the "Kyuu-chan" part and her shock increased exponentially. "Kyuu-chan?" she asked, trying to confirm her thoughts. Naruto rolled his eyes before nodding. She smiled, but before she could celebrate a win for the women, Naruto cut her off. "Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, and Minato Namikaze all beat her, and Madara did it with no help and no seals. Not being sexist, just raining on your parade, as is my self-appointed job."

As he was saying this, he got up, the poison having been neutralized from his system. "So, what do you want? I can "play" for a while, though I doubt it'll be easy for you to keep up... baa-chan~."

Anko just narrowed her eyes, a bit miffed both by the fact that her small victory was destroyed by the "gaki" in front of her and the nickname he'd just created. She quickly sent some shuriken at his bare chest, making him yelp and dodge.

And so began their game, his shirt lying forgotten in the clearing. As they "played", both Anko and Naruto gained smiles on their faces. _'Looks like I've got a new playmate,'_ was their collective thought, but Naruto's continued,_ 'though we will have to talk about that crying incident after this...' _They played until they were both lying on the floor of the forest, exhaustion clear on their faces, yet they were still adorned in smiles.

Naruto, with his rather speedy recovery, got up and asked, "As fun as that was, do you know where my shirt went?" Shaking her head as best she could, just laid there, envious of his speedy recovery. Gaining enough of her energy back, she popped a soldier pill and sprung up.

Before she could say a thing, he asked, "What was up with the, ya know, break down? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but know that I won't judge you like everybody else in this cesspool." Having said his piece, he sat against a tree, staring up at her with curiosity in his eyes.

Now, Anko was at an impasse. On one hand, she could confide in the only person who would understand what she was going through and possibly lose their new friendship, or she could not tell him and show that she didn't quite trust him... yet. Deciding to go with the option that would build trust, if he kept his word on not judging her, she decided to tell him about Orochimaru. "Well, gaki, you know about Orochimaru, right? Of course you do; everyone does. Well, I was his student."

At this proclamation, Naruto gained a somewhat understanding look. "When he was here, he was the orchestrator of the abduction, inhumane experimentatation upon, and eventual murder of hundreds, if not thousands of Konoha citizens, both shinobi and civilians. Most people in the village want him dead on more than a professional level. He's killed so many that the ones left hate him with a passion that rival's the Kyuubi. And without the object of their hate readily available for them to take their vengeance, they focus on the next best thing: Me. It's been this way since... a little before you were born." Naruto just shook his head, not all that surprised at how people reacted.

He just sighed and got up, giving her some words that sought to comfort her, if only a little. "Look on the bright side: you got to train under one of the densetsu no sannin, the most talented member of the group to boot. You had somewhere that you at least got an appearance of being loved. You weren't hated your whole life. Don't mope about it too much. Just remember: somebody always has it worse, and you're talking to one of them right now. Hehe. Besides, if you don't like it here, you have three choices. Make due with it and find some who accept you, change how your viewed, or leave. I like the idea of the last the most, though I doubt they'd let me take it."

After saying his piece, though the last part came out rather bitterly, he just looked up at the sky, trying to gauge how long they'd been out there, causing him to miss the somewhat piteous look she had given him. "Damn! We've been out here for a while now. I gotta work in the morning, so I better split. Can't be late for a single day! You know how to find me; I'm sure all the jonin do. Later!" Before she could correct him on her title, since the was a tokubetsu jonin, not a jonin, he was already gone in a base shunshin.

* * *

Naruto's Apartment

* * *

Appearing in his apartment, he went to take off his shirt before he realized he didn't have that anymore. Shrugging, he just tossed the pants, took a shower, and got into bed. Staring up at the ceiling, he decided to make a few clones to practice his chakra control by making progressively smaller and more complex chakra constructs. Once done, he asked Kogo, 'I wonder why she didn't ask about that transformation that happened?'

**'Meh. It probably just slipped her mind, since a lot did go on today. By the way, you're a nice person. You need to watch out with that; people will try to take advantage of that... a lot.' **

'I know. That's why I don't drop the chakra field, just so I can sense people's general intentions. By the way, I need to name that technique, assuming you haven't already.'

**'I never bothered to. It's not like it matters; we bijuu don't yell out our technique's names like humans do.' **

'Shots fired.' Satisfied with his work in the material world for the day, he let himself fade into his mind for the night.

* * *

Next morning

* * *

Naruto was awakened by a relatively large chakra signature appearing in his room. His eyes snapped open to see Anko on his ceiling, a stick of dango in her hand and another already in the process of being devoured by her.

Instead of jumping in shock, he sighed, figuring this would become a common occurrence. "What do you wa-" His question was cut off as Anko dropped from the ceiling, simultaneously shoving the other set of dango in his mouth. He glared at her slightly as he ate the forcefully fed food.

"THAT, little Naruto, is a gift, from moi, of course. That should cover the shirt too, and if it doesn't, then I can get you a few more. Regardless, I just decided to pop in. Su casa es mi casa, as they say. Now, where is your porn..." As she trailed off, Naruto choked on his stick of dango.

In his head, he could hear Kogo laughing her ass off. 'Life is gonna be interesting for a while.' Sighing, he got out of bed and let Anko search for what she would never find, a small smirk present on his face. _'Little does she know that I don't need books/videos. Working in a whore house with perfect memory and recollection skills has its perks. Besides, I'm five... fucking pedos.'_ With that, he went through his normal morning routine and went to work.

* * *

A/N: That's that, peoplez. I'm sorry about this being late, but I had tests going on all week, despite me being home for most of each day, so I didn't get much done. I HAD this pretty much done before, but I forgot to hit the save button regularly because I got into a good flow. I think you can guess what happened from there. It fucked up, I raged, then I got back to it 2 days later. Seriously though, when around 4,000 words goes down the drain, it's not a happy moment. It was much better before, and longer too, but such is life sometimes. Regardless of my slight moping, let's move on to the HAREM(my favorite part of the day! (^-^))

(Bold=Confirmed, Italics=Probable, Normal=Possible

**Kogo(Fem Kyuubi)**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

**Fem Sasuke**

**Fem Gaara**

**Fem Hidan**

_Shion: 2_

_Yugito: 2_

_Temari: 2_

_Anko: 2 _

_Matabi(Nibi): 2_

_Shizuka: 1 (Not sure how I managed to let this one slip my mind. It's actually one I enjoy.)_

_Tayuya: 1_

_Mei: 1_

_Ino: 0_

_Tenten: 0 (No takers? Still? I see how it is guys(and girls))_

_Fuka: 0 (Just thought of this one. Don't think I've seen it before, so I'll let you guys choose. If you don't know her, head on over to the Naruto wiki. She first shows up in episode 56 of Shippuden.)_

Fem Kakashi: 1

Kin: 0

And there's that. I had planned for a Fem Hidan in the beginning; I only asked to see how you guys reacted. Since I got no negative responses, she's in! I also enjoy Fem Gaara, so I just put that one in. If you want another in there, they'll probably need four votes, with no disagreement over their inclusion in the reviews. Hidan's name might just stay as Hidan, since I plan on making her/him a tomboy of sorts. The somewhat masculine name fits. For the rest of the genderbent names, I've already created their variations. I just need to confirm that they'll exist. Now, for anyone who complains about me making them fall in love too early, I'll throw you a bone on my plan. Every female character introduction of this sort will be more of a set up for a possible romance in the future, as can be easily seen with Anko in this chapter. They're just friends at the moment, but with a thought from me, that could all change. I just like to give myself options later on. Well, that's about all for this chapter. Anything you'd like to tell me? Just leave a review, or better yet, PM me. Either is fine; I check both regularly. Oh, and try to constrain votes to chapters that are current. If I'm on chapter five, don't vote in chapter one or two. Please. Thanks for reading! R&amp;R peeps.


	6. Freeing the Caged Birds

A/N: I LIVE! Sorry about kinda falling of the face of the earth; high school is a bitch sometimes. Oh well, such is life. Now, my story will probably be explanation heavy in the upcoming chapters, so just be prepared. On with the story!

* * *

Kage Bunshin \- Jutsu(I don't think I'll be having NINJAS call out their moves that much though. It will probably be made fun of a lot in this story.).

**I will feast upon your entrails** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech/thought.

_Do angles go back to heaven when they die? _\- Thought/Flashback stuff.

OH MY FUCKING GOD - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication(which will be present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

* * *

**_Recap-_**

"What do you wa-" His question was cut off as Anko dropped from the ceiling, simultaneously shoving the other set of dango in his mouth. He glared at her slightly as he ate the forcefully fed food. "THAT, little Naruto, is a gift, from moi, of course. That should cover the shirt too, and if it doesn't, then I can get you a few more. Regardless, I just decided to pop in. Su casa es mi casa, as they say. Now, where is your porn..." As she trailed off, Naruto choked on his dango. In his head, he heard Kogo laughing at him. 'Life is gonna be interesting for a while.' Sighing, he got out of bed and let Anko search for what she would never find, a small smirk present on his face. 'Little does she know that I don't need books/videos. Working in a whore house with perfect memory and recollection skills has its perks. Besides, I'm five... fucking pedos.' With that, he went through his normal morning routine and went to work.

**_Moving on-_**

As he returned from work, he came home to find Anko sleeping on his couch. Rather annoyed that she had taken over his couch, he walked up to her and pondered the best way to wake her up. 'Oi, Kogo-chan! Can I create water or a light electrical current with the chakra I manipulate outside my body? Like, right now.'

**'You could eventually, but you don't have anywhere near the skill to do that just yet. Let me; I kinda wanna see how she reacts.' **Letting Kogo take over, the normal changes took place. He/she just waved her hand, and water just appeared above Anko. It stayed for a while before Kogo-Naruto just dropped her hand(I'll just say her for the "possessed" Naruto here.) and it all just came crashing down.

As Anko jumped up and fell off the couch, Kogo-Naruto just pulled all the water out of the couch, making it evaporate before going back into Naruto's mind. **'Take it away, Naruto-kun.' **Coming back into control, his face was immediately caught in a headlock, the back of his head pressing against something soft.

If he could see behind him, he'd probably be scared, but as it stood, he was just trying to breath properly. "Totally... worth it... No... regrets," he managed to choke out, only serving to make Anko tighten her hold. As his vision darkened, he could only think one thing _'Completely worth it... hopefully...' _

* * *

Sometime later- Forest of Death

* * *

Naruto snapped back into consciousness when he felt the cold touch of water on his scalp. Just as his head was being completely submerged, he managed to pull a shunshin directly behind whoever was holding him and kick them into the body of water. Taking in his surroundings, he saw that he was in the forest of death, and that it was Anko who was holding him, as evident by her climbing on top of the apparent river she'd been kicked into. Shrugging his shoulders, he looked over to Anko to find her pulling herself out of the water, glaring at him slightly.

He rolled his eyes before doing another shunshin over to her. Appearing over her, he put out his hand in a gesture of help. She reluctantly took it, before suddenly grinning and dragging him in. As he fell in, he only thought, _'Fuck. I need to learn to actually swim.' _Even though he couldn't actually swim, he used some of the principle behind water walking, which he was taught by Haitatsu, to push his head to the surface. After glaring at Anko through his hair, which now fell to his face, he did a quick shunshin to the riverside and made a clone to inform him of his current state of dress.

When it dispelled, he scowled and began muttering to himself about "stupid snake ladies". As Anko climbed out, laughing at him, he used his new found control over chakra to put just under the amount for a physical construct into a pulse, figuring it would push off all the water that wasn't held in place.

Finding his idea to be correct, he repeated this multiple times with stronger pulses until he was relatively dry, though he let his hair stay the same. _'I kinda like the look... Wish it was black, but I don't feel like dying it.' _Shrugging at his internal pondering, he looked over to Anko, who was finishing up replacing her coat. He just waited until she was done before asking, "Is there anything else you wanted? I doubt you'd bring me to this forest if you just wanted to dunk my head in the water."

She, while straightening out her jacket, just said, "Guess." When getting no response, she just looked into his deadpan eyes and said, "Fine. I want to know how you did that transforming thing yesterday. I told you about myself, so now it's your turn to tell me something I DON'T know."

Sighing, he sat down and said, "Sit. This is gonna be a bit of a monologue, so you might wanna." As she complied, he asked Kogo, 'Should I reveal much to her? She IS still loyal to the old man, so it could backfire easily.'

**'Do as you will. If you think she's trustworthy, then go ahead. If not, then don't.' **

Sighing, he began his short tale. "You are about to be trusted with more information about me than any other, so you can't tell ANYONE else." At her nod, he sighed, preparing himself to reveal a few secrets. "I won't go too much into things, since a lot of details are involved here, so let's just say I got some abilities from having the strongest demon in existence sealed inside my tummy. I've been studying fuinjustu under a former Anbu member, so I can understand a bit of my seal. This, combined with Kyuu-chan's knowledge of the seal she's strapped behind due to observation, allowed us to figure out that I gained her ability to manipulate shizen chakra, or nature energy, as I prefer to call it. I won't explain it too in depth, but it is pretty much nature's chakra.

"Now, since I can manipulate that, and it's chakra, I can use it as a power source. Since it isn't my normal power source, or my power at all for that matter, my body changes to better accommodate it whenever I use enough. If I only tap into it for a quick refill when I'm low on chakra, then it won't happen, but I was training to balance it with the energy inside me, which I accomplished. Said accomplishment resulted in that. Since I found that I grew, I just released all of it from inside me when you'd trapped me, shrinking back to normal and escaping."

Anko was silent for a while, just staring at him. After making Naruto uncomfortable as hell for about 30 seconds, she asked, "Are you sure you're five?" At his nod, she sighed. "Just checking. Most five year olds can't even grasp the concept of chakra, and yet, her you are, pulling this bull out of your ass. If you stay, you'll be a kick ass jonin in no time flat, mark my words." Getting up, she continued, "Wanna train with me? I only did a C-Rank earlier, so I am feeling a bit bored. There wasn't anything really good left today."

Having been taught about mission rankings already, he just nodded; anything below B-Rank sounded like bitch work if you asked him. Academy students could do D-Ranks, and probably C-Ranks too.

"So," he began, "Wanna just get right into a spar, or what?" At her nod, he grinned and sped at her with his top speed, not wanting to underestimate what he felt was a jonin level opponent. Sending a clone out in front of him mid-dash, he put as much chakra into a burst as he could, getting behind her just as the clone reached her. Still rushing forward, he saw the clone get dispelled by a roundhouse kick and her fist come flying out towards him. _'She saw through that one easily, huh.'_ Dodging as best he could, he tried to get her before her stance was reset from the kick. The attempt was in vain, however, as her foot sped to the ground, and her stance became solid once more.

With her renewed solidity, she grabbed the fist he'd sent at her while attempting to get her off guard. Fortunately for him, with their height difference, she found it a bit troublesome to throw him over her shoulder. Unfortunately for him, her foot was also closer for the exact same reason, and she had no problem using that fact to her advantage Bringing her leg up a bit, she brought it up from a bit behind him and kicked him in the leg. Hard. As his knees were buckling, her kick just continued, pulling him off his feet, though his fist was stilled gripped by her, giving her a perfect opportunity to throw her airborne opponent. Doing exactly that, she spun around once, gaining a considerable amount of speed, before letting him fly, aiming for a tree.

Once she let go, he was rocketed towards the tree. Instead of just letting the collision occur, he made two clones appear in front of the tree in order to slow him down. They did their job and, with a mental command from him, joined in on a three manned assault. Discreetly, he used the kawarimi no jutsu and caused the left clone to take the place of him, the original, in the middle. They all dashed towards her, using chakra to become blurs to anyone under jonin in skill, though they were facing a ripped off jonin.(A/N: Her tokubetsu jonin rank is complete bull in my opinion, if you couldn't tell.) The one in the middle jumped up and attempted to deliver an ax kick to her head, though Naruto doubted it would get through.

Not noticing the switch, due to the lack of smoke from good chakra control, Anko just blocked the ax kick from what she thought was the original. Thinking she'd gotten the biggest threat, grabbed his leg and attempted to use him as a bat to disperse of the other two. Swinging from right to left, she dispelled the clone on her right and was going on to the left before she noticed that the one in her hand had dispelled on the hit as well. Bringing the swinging arm in towards her chest, she just blocked his strike with her left hand before sending the previously swinging hand out in a lightning fast jab to his stomach. Unable to avoid the blow, he just took it and flew backwards. "Not bad, gaki," she complemented. "But I've been in this business for years. You'll have to do better to even put a scratch on me."

As he was face down, she couldn't see his grin. '_Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu is a success.' _Just as he finished this thought, a clone popped up out of the ground behind her, making enough sound to draw her attention on purpose. As she was turning around, he jumped up and began to channel chakra for one of, if not his strongest technique. Both he and the clone began to do this, though the clone was quickly stopped by Anko. She just threw a kunai at its head and, as it dispelled, whipped her head back to Naruto. He, on the other hand, managed to finish the technique. Puffing out his chest, he mentally screamed _'FUTON: RENKUDAN!' _before unleashing an extremely compressed ball of wind with as much of his chakra kneaded into it as he could manage in the time period.

Unfortunately for him, even though it hit, and seemingly destroyed Anko's body, she melted into mud. His senses went off, telling him that there was a large chakra signature that just appeared above him, but he was momentarily drained from the technique and could only look up as Anko brought her foot down on his face. As everything went black for him, he could only think _'FUCK! SECOND TIME TODAY!' _Kogo's laughter in the background did nothing good for him in that moment.

* * *

Mindscape

* * *

Naruto brought himself into his own mind before he could become fully unconscious. He appeared in front of Kogo, naked as per usual, and just stared at the bijuu who was laughing at him. Deciding that it was payback time, he smirked before making his own imitation of one of her tails out of chakra and smacking her on the top of the head. "Now that you've calmed down," he began as she looked at him with a small glare, "do you think I could do anything about the seal yet? I decided to come in here after being knocked out so I could get something done, at least."

Deciding to cut to the chase, she responded. **"Well, you have already mastered intermediate level fuinjutsu and have made reasonable progress into master level fuinjutsu, so I say you could alter the youki flow, or something, but I'd rather you don't stop the seal from draining my power into you. If anything, I say you should increase the flow." **Seeing his confused look, she elaborated. **"I've told you of my other half before, but we aren't identical. He has more chakra while I have more control. We are reflections of this worlds hatred and the possible outcomes. I represent what happens when one is filled with hate and rage but manage to control and focus it, fueling themselves to become more powerful, while he would represent one who has allowed hatred and anger to control them, driving them to find more and more power to fuel whatever goal they have. His representation, his meaning, gives him more raw power, while mine allows me to refine my smaller amount so that I could keep up.**

**"The seal changes things, though. I, like you humans, have my own, technically finite, reserves. Even though they are being refilled constantly, the seal puts a constant strain on them, letting them grow. I still retain my control by practicing it in here and using the sensing technique, while the seal is letting my youki reserves grow. The other Kyuubi has the same seal, but his reserves are growing while his control isn't up to par. If you increase the amount your draining from me, you'll not only make yourself stronger faster, but make me stronger than him, since I'll have the best of both worlds." **Naruto nodded in understanding and agreement. He'd been taught all about chakra and chakra theory by Haitatsu, and youki was pretty much suped-up, demon chakra, at least as far as he could tell.

"So," Naruto began, now having a goal, "how do I go about controlling the flow?"

**"Well, I figure there are two ways to go about it; either manually, from in here, or using fuinjutsu, from outside. I'm pretty sure you need a key to loosen or tighter the seal, since loosening too much is just releasing me, but you should be able to get in done in here. You've allowed me pretty much free reign in here, so I'm able to monitor the relative path my youki takes as it leaves to be trickled into you. I don't let it normally stay fully manifested, but I'll show you what I found when I followed it.**

Leaving Kogo's "house", they went outside to the never-ending forest that surrounded her home, Kogo leading the way. As they walked, the area around her house filled itself in, creating a a path. Said path lead to a river, though this river wasn't what one would call normal. It was anything but, actually. Running in the river was what looked like blood, though after a second concentrating on it, Naruto's eyes widened as he realized that it was actually Kogo's raw youki. "Whoa... The seal weakens your youki so much when I use it. It completely outclasses mine in... everything.

Kogo didn't respond to the comment, but one could feel the pride coming from her. Instead, she just pointed down stream. **"I'd assume that where it leads is where you can adjust things. Good luck, Naruto. And remember, in your mind, you are God. Up until now, you've been on my side, but when you get there, you'll have FULL control." **

After she'd given him the helpful reminder, he nodded and began to follow the river. After walking for a while, he had a thought. "She could've just put me at the edge of her side. That fucker..." Sighing, he just kept walking, reaching what seemed to man-made, highly mechanical dam. _'It's processing the youki,' _he realized. Deciding that lowering the amount of processing the youki went through would speed up the process, he did just that. Concentrating on the sight in front of him, he slowly lowered the amount of processing the youki would go through. He did this so he would have time to feel the effect it would have on him.

After a while, he decided to settle on an amount that would be a little stronger than his own youki, intending to force his body to improve to keep up. "There we go. I can just come back and increase this again when mine are of an equal strength." Deciding that his course of action was satisfactory, he moved on, walking past the processing mechanism built into the seal.

As he passed it, he felt an odd sensation pass through him. Not wholly unpleasant, but odd. The best description would be... empowering. _'I haven't been on my side in a LONG time. I kinda forgot what it felt like.' _Continuing along the river, he eventually found a giant lake, though it didn't look like anything on the mortal plane. It was a swirl of colors, colors that didn't generally go together but... worked somehow. There was a deep blue that he could see, a black with red wisps flowing from it as it mixed, an reddish orange that seemed to be getting redder by the second, and even hints of green being added, though it wasn't as prominent as the other colors.

He knew that these were energies mixing within him, so he focused on the edge of the lake, trying to find a source for each. He saw the mouths of 2 rivers beside the one he was at, and the beginnings of one forming as well. Focusing on them individually, he discerned, as best he could, what each of them were. The blue felt like his normal chakra, and the black felt like his youki. He'd gotten used to both of them by now, so he had a pretty good grasp on their general feel. The green was a bit harder, since it felt like chakra, but it wasn't his chakra. After a bit of thinking, he likened it to natural energy. _'Hmm... It seems like I'm building a connection with nature, to the point where it's power is becoming naturally accessible. Good, this means I can use it easier in the future.' _The other was, by process of elimination, Kogo's youki, which he confirmed by comparing the feeling he got.

After getting a better understanding of the mixing energies within him, he looked down at the mouth of the river he was standing at. It had another seemingly man-made device before the mouth opened up. Comparing the flow of the river in front of it and behind it, he found that it was considerably slower after it got to it. _'Gotcha!' _Finding his goal, he focused on it before gradually speeding it up. By time he was satisfied with the speed, it was more than twice as fast, since he figure the Kogo's stronger connection with nature would let her be refilled much faster than him.

Stopping for a second to just FEEL the energies, he was able to actually feel his chakra become more like youki. It was slow, obviously, but it was a fast enough process that he could actually feel it becoming more potent, and he liked it.

Deciding he'd accomplished his goal, he made a note to go back there on his own and just... feel before heading back to Kogo, making himself just appear at the boundary of their halves of the mindscape. Walking to her house, he entered after a while to find Kogo napping on her couch. Shaking his head, he decided to let her sleep; for all he knew, she was just getting used to the increased drain. Letting himself regain consciousness, he faded out of the mindscape.

* * *

Real World- a few minutes after he was knocked out

* * *

Opening his eyes, he looked over to where Anko was, finding her also napping, though she was on a branch with her back to the trunk. He sighed, thinking, _Why are people so lazy today?' _Getting to his feet, he noticed that Anko had just left him where she'd knocked him out, only turning him onto his back.

Deciding to both wake her up and push the limits of his chakra creation techniques at the same time, he went over to the stream that was still in the area and put his hand in it. As he pulled it out, he really focused on the water, examining each droplet as best he could. Since it was his first time creating a non-solid, he was just taking a few extra measures. Feeling as though he had a pretty good understanding of what he was trying to create, he tried creating water over the stream itself a few times.

After managing to get a handle on it, he created one above Anko's head... again, and dropped it. As it dropped, Anko began to sputter in surprise, even going as far as to fall out of the tree she was in. Being unable to handle it, he began to laugh uncontrollably. Not his best move, considering the crazy snake lady would try and seek retribution. Just as he began to realize the he should run, a cry of "Sen'eijashu" came from Anko, and multiple snakes came and bound him in place. Followed by an angry Anko, stalking towards him.

Fearing for his life, he did the only thing he could... spam the hell out of the Shunshin no jutsu until he was sure he was safe and AWAY from Anko.

* * *

An Unknown Time Later

* * *

Panting at using up so much chakra to travel more than halfway across the village, he gave himself some time to catch his breath. After managing to catch his breath, he decided to go and visit Hinata. After letting the increased flow from Kogo refill him with relative ease, he resumed using the shunshin no jutsu to traverse the village, this time heading towards the Hyuuga compound.

Appearing there, he decided to take the sneaky way in. Taking a moment, he thought of a way to get past the byakugan. _'Hmm... Dojutsu work in a similar fashion to a normal person's eyes, just on an extremely magnified scale, at least vision wise. Everybody gives off chakra naturally, and people's eyes naturally pick up on it, allowing easy vision...' _Finally coming up with an idea, he asked Kogo, 'If I were to stop any excess chakra from actually exiting my body, would I be invisible to the byakugan, or at least the x-ray vision?'

**'I doubt it. Unless you manage to make the chakra INSIDE your body invisible to them too, you probably can't. But, since they can't see natural energy, else they'd be blind from just activating the byakugan, you could, theoretically, be invisible to it if you let natural energy dominate your system. Don't try it, though; you don't have enough practice. The only way I can see you getting by them is using a shunshin and hoping they don't notice you at such high speeds.'**

Sighing at the lack-luster way of getting in, he observed the guards in the front for a while and, with precision timing, shunshin-ed by when one of them was deactivating their byakugan and the other was about to activate theirs.

Appearing where he felt Hinata's chakra, he surprised here by popping up in her garden, hanging upside down in a tree with chakra. The branch was low, so his face was right in front of her's, though his eyes were closed in their usual fashion to go along with his grin, meaning he couldn't see her initial reaction. Fortunately for him, his chakra sensory technique is stable enough to be up 24/7 now, so he got the picture, and started laughing his ass off as if he'd seen it with his own eyes.

Hinata, and her apparently present family(including Neji and Hizashi), weren't sharing his enthusiasm, though the adults were smirking, attempting to hide their amusement. They were the Hyuuga, after all. Neji, on the other hand, wasn't aware of who he was, and reacted as one would to a stranger appearing in front of their family, using a ninja technique. He lunged at his face, aiming a jyuuken strike at his neck, intending to kill, having not had experience with just disabling techniques.

Naruto, having felt it coming, just timed his release from the tree with chakra, dropping to one knee as he fell and letting Neji fly right over him. Though, he caught himself and rushed again when Naruto had gotten up, trying to go as fast as he could. To Naruto, Neji was moving in slow motion. "Come on, Hyuuga-tan," he taunted Neji. "My grandma can move faster than this!"

He wasn't lying either. When training him, Haitatsu would occasionally, when he wasn't as fast, engage him in direct hand-to-hand combat. Even as an old lady, Haitatsu could move faster than chunin and even a few jonin.

Back with the "fight", Naruto was just dancing around Neji, who was a prodigy within the Hyuuga clan. Now, this was a shock to everyone there, even Hinata. She's had it drilled into her head that the Hyuuga were the strongest in village since she was old enough to understand. To see her her cousin, who'd time and again shown himself to be the best Hyuuga practitioner in his year and 5 above, being toyed with like that was a shock, though it was a good one. _'I know Naruto-kun trained already, but... wow. I wish I was that strong.' _Seeing how strong both her cousin and her friend were, she resolved to get stronger so she wouldn't be left behind.

Meanwhile, Neji was getting frustrated at his lack of ability to hit Naruto. Every strike, every jab, every feint, every movement, all of them seemed to be predicted by Naruto. Every time he tried to follow up an attack, Naruto would dance his way around both it and him, forcing him to turn after everyone. _'How can he be so much faster than me! I am an elite; no commoner among my peers should be able to keep up with me!'_

While he was thinking this, the adults had gotten over their shock and were just observing the little altercation, silently asking each other whether they should stop them. In the end, they just decided to let Neji use this as a chance to improve and get humbled by someone other than a superior Hyuuga. They too decided to benefit from it, observing Neji's technique and Naruto's counters to it in order to better use and teach the jyuuken.

After another minute if this, Naruto got bored and decided to just end it. Steadily increasing his speed, he kept dancing around Neji faster and faster, focusing on how well Neji kept up. When he was really struggling to turn in time to even focus on him, let alone launch an attack, Naruto smirked before sticking his foot into Neji's still moving feet, forcing him to trip on himself, almost taking Naruto with him. Jumping back, he let Neji fall to the ground, panting for breath.

Walking up to the downed Neji, smirk still in place, Naruto held out his hand to Neji as a sign of good will. Neji, on the other hand, was feeling more than a little annoyed that he was beaten with such relative ease. Rudely slapping Naruto's hand away, he got to his feet, brushed himself off, and asked in a rather rude manner, "Who are you, and why are you here?"

Responding, he just said, "It's impolite to ask someone's name without introducing yourself first."

Before Neji could provide a, most probably rude, rebut, Hiashi interrupted. "That, Neji-kun, is Naruto-kun. He's the one who saved Hinata, and I'd prefer if you don't attempt to murder him; we still owe him. Oh, and he's Hinata's friend," he told Neji, hastily adding the last part at a... look from his wife.

Neji just looked at Naruto in an odd manner, seeming as though he was choking on something. After a few seconds, he bowed slightly and said, "Forgive me for my rudeness Naruto-san." Naruto just took that in stride and responded, "Don't worry about it. You're not the first, nor will you be the last person to try and kill me. I'm fine, so no harm done."

At this, Hiashi looked rather guilty, knowing that he let his best friend's child grow up alone in an environment where attempt on his life would become common place before he was even a shinobi. Naruto wasn't lying though; attempt on his life came in a steady stream when he stopped giving the villagers the satisfaction of seeing him miserable. The other adults looked a bit guilty as well, knowing that Naruto wasn't even close to being the Kyuubi from their byakugan. They all remembered both the different feeling and LOOK the Kyuubi's chakra had. As they thought back on it, they couldn't help the slight shiver that accompanied the memory.

Neji looked at him curiously, not really caring about the endangerment of his life or whether he was telling the truth, but the reason a child would be targeted. _'What could he have done to warrant that?'_ Hinata had similar thoughts, though neither her friend lying nor the uncaring attitude of Neji ever surfaced in her.

Naruto noticed a generally somber mood had taken hold and mentally face-palmed. 'I shouldn't have said that one.' Kogo voiced her assent in the form of a grunt, letting him figure this situation out on his own. Trying to lighten the mood a bit, he got Neji's attention. "Oi! Neji-chan!" he called. "Wanna spar with me? You're not half bad, ya know. I'll even promise not to use my hands." The bulging vein on his forehead being the only sign of his annoyance, Neji just looked over to Hiashi, Kosen, and his father, Hizashi, for permission. Getting a nod from them, he settled into a starting jyuuken stance.

Before he could lunge at him, Naruto asked, "Do you want to join in Hinata?"

Before she could answer, and most likely say no, Neji just scoffed. "She's weak. I don't want her to get in my way here." At his words, both Naruto and Hiashi narrowed their eyes while Hizashi and Kosen just sighed.

Hiashi was about to reprimand him for that, but Naruto subtly gestured for him to hold off. "Is she now? How so, Neji-san?" Neji looked over at his father, who nodded, knowing that he was asking permission to explain about the Hyuuga clan to Naruto.

Getting his permission, he went on to explain. "Within the Hyuuga clan, their are secrets. I don't know all of them, and probably never will, but the biggest one, only known to those higher up in Konoha government if they're outside of the clan, is the Hyuuga Sōke no Juinjutsu(Hyuuga Main Family's Cursed Seal Technique). When the next heir to the clan turns three," At this he looked at Hinata with a neutral face up to mask his hate. "all members of the branch family of the Hyuuga clan are marked with it. Depending on the members of the main family, we are slaves, and the main family is quite large. Hiashi-sama and Kosen-sama are generally kind to both me and my father, but the others abuse their power. The worst part is that is can't be removed until death. This mark..."

As he trailed off, he removed the bandages he had on his forehead. "It represents an inescapable fate that is decided the moment you are born into this clan. I've been watching others as well, listening in for their past, and it is quite easy to tell the general path of their destiny. Losers are born as such, and grow as such. Murderers have telltale signs from early on. Those who grow to be truly powerful are born with that in their future... Those who are weak are born with that as their fate. We cannot fight it, we cannot change it. We can only be swept down the path fate has chosen for us."

After listening to his monologue, Hinata was sad, and Naruto was pissed. While she tried to keep tears back, using all of the self-control drilled into him by Haitatsu, he kept his face devoid of all emotion and just gestured for him to come at him. He did just that, using the chakra control that was drilled into him since he was even younger to blast off towards him at mid-chunin speeds. Resisting the urge to scoff, Naruto grabbed Neji's outstretched wrist mid-lunge.

Batting aside the palm that Neji brought up to follow up his attack with, he yanked Neji forward. While he was coming towards him, he brought up his knee and hit him in the stomach with the considerable amount of strength he possessed for his age.

Unused to being actually hit, let alone with actual force instead of a jyuuken strike, Neji fell to his knees, his byakugan deactivating as well. While he was down there, Naruto dropped down to his level with a squat. "Did you feel that, Neji?" Neji opened one of his eyes at the sound of his voice. "Would you say that I'm strong, Neji?" He got up and kicked Neji across the field before appearing on that side with a burst of speed, his foot outstretched for Neji for Neji to hit on his current course.

And hit it he did. His back impacted with the bottom of Naruto's foot, causing all the others to wince at the sound, and Kosen to cover Hanabi's eyes and ears. As Neji fell to the floor in a heap, panting from the beating he was receiving, Naruto grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him up to eye level as he bent over, forcing him to look into his eyes which were, unknown to Naruto, glowing a sharp, icy blue.

"Well, would you?" Neji nodded as best he could in his current state, a.k.a scared out of his mind while being beat the fuck down. "Thank you, Neji. Now, with your philosophy, this should be impossible. I was an orphan with the whole world against him making it past the age of two for... reasons I'd rather not divulge right now. Every villager hated my guts, and they still do. The only reason I'm alive is because of those pesky laws against murder, and an occasional "good Samaritan" visiting the village not knowing me, bless their ignorance. I am an outcast to almost all, a pariah if you will. But even our laws can't deter the most determined fools..."

Deciding that it'd be best to break him of his mindset now, he proceeded, releasing the partial Akuma no Genso: Nise Gaiken(Demon Illusion: False Appearance) he had on part of his chest. "I was two when I got this Neji." At this, he pulled down the collar of the black shirt he was wearing, revealing the kanji for lonely(寂しい: Sabishi) etched into his chest, right under his collar, along with a scar, seemingly from a stab, right under it.

As Neji opened his eyes to see what it was, the adults, sans Hiashi, stared in shock. Both he and Hinata looked on confused until what it was registered with them; they'd never seen such scars before. When it did, they joined the adults. "When I woke up in a ninja hospital, since we couldn't trust the civilian one, Hokage-jiji had outright told me that a ninja had "snapped" and attacked me, leaving the mark on the off chance I survived, which I did, just to let me know I'd never be accepted. I was branded like this from early on in life, but I'm not like you Neji.

"I won't let ANYONE tell me what my future is, that I'm fated to be alone. If I am alone, it's because I prefer it that way. If I want to have friends, to have a family, then I will work for it and MAKE it happen, and I don't care if it IS my fate. Being strong or weak is a choice, Neji. Strength is the power of one's own will, the power to forge your own path. A power we all possess and need only reach out and grab. Will you remain weak, Neji? Will you resign yourself to being a slave to those people, against your will, or will you fight to have your fate be one you want? Will you choose to be strong Neji?" He paused to let it sink in for Neji and calm down a bit before continuing, managing to start out in a whisper.

"Because, as you are, out of you and Hinata, YOU are the weaker one. She is at least trying to gain power, to stop disappointing those who expect more, to change who others have decided she is. You are letting your life be directed by those around you. For all your power, which is considerable for your age, you are WEAK, Neji." By the end of it, his voice, which he'd, impressively, kept DECENTLY level for the first sentence was now reaching past the point of just shouting, and was echoing across the entire compound for ALL the Hyuuga to hear. "If you have a seal that enslaves you, find some way to break it. If the higher ups in your clan are directing your life, bide your time and build both your power and strength before breaking free from the shackles that hold you down. Some people in this world have it worse that you Neji, and they continue to fight. So, before you take the coward's route and give in, remember: you chose to let that be your life."

Taking deep breathes, Naruto regained his composure. Looking Neji dead in the eyes, he said one last thing. "I had to grow up early on, Neji. I've learned how to protect myself and have begun to make my own fate. Now, Neji, I'll tell you the thing helped me start... Stop being a baby, Neji. The world isn't fair, and it will never be, so get over it and make the best out of the life you've been given."

Now that he was done, he pushed Neji onto his ass, got up, and turned around only to find that his audience had grown from 5 to at least 50. A good portion had come to investigate what was going on and ended up staying to listen to his words. Feeling all of their eyes on him, Naruto blushed and looked at his feet.

While Naruto was looking down, Hiashi made his way over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be embarrassed, Naruto. You may have just changed the ways of our clan for the better. For too long have we been steeped in old, oppressive ways, even when they are against Konoha law. If we don't change, I fear that your speech's message will spread and our clan will destroy itself." As Hiashi finished, most of the Hyuuga watching nodded at him, and a few even smiled. Others either gave him a pitying look or frowned at him, most probably unhappy that an outsider was interfering with clan affairs or forcing their hand.

Naruto just grinned at him. "Well, I'm pretty sure slavery is against Konoha law, except for certain circumstances, Hiashi-san. You could change at anytime you wanted, even if others didn't; all I did was help you out, and let you do it without getting anyone arrested." As he finished, he went to leave, believing he'd caused enough of a ruckus for one day, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw it was Hizashi and rose an eyebrow. Before he got to ask what the problem was, Hizashi bowed to him. "Thank you, Naruto-san." Seeing his surprised look, he gave a little elaboration. "You went out of your way to save my son from himself. And then ended up saving this clan from itself. I will say what they are too proud to: Thank you, Naruto-san." Naruto just grinned and gave him a thumbs up before shunshin-ing out of there.

* * *

Naruto's Roof

* * *

Appearing on his roof, he ignored the snickering coming from Kogo at his embarrassment and was about to begin his workout when a thought struck him. 'Oi Kogo-chan!'

**'Yes, Naru-kun?' **

'My clones have been getting through the master level material in the fuinjutsu texts, and I found that seals can be used to distort time and space. Do you think it would be possible to make a seal that would increase the density of all the gas in the air around me so that I could up my physical training? I've been getting fewer benefits from physical training as of late, and I don't hit as hard as a jonin, which I want to fix asap.'

**'Well, you could do that, but then it would affect your breathing rather drastically. You would only need to pull in a little air to get the same amount of oxygen, but when you turned the seal off, your lungs wouldn't be used to having to work that much for air.' **

'Weights then?'

**'No, no. Those can only REALLY work the muscles they're attached to. For example, people tend to work their hip flexors when they do abdominal muscles, so then their hip flexors get stronger while their abdominal muscles barely get anything. Now, if you make it harder, by adding weights in your case, you'll be more likely to fall back onto your hip flexors, thus getting rid of the intended benefits. If anything, you should try that gravity seal you read about, or maybe the resistance seal. Actually, do the resistance seal. It works EVERY muscle in your body, and you can increase it infinitely without hurting yourself.'**

Nodding in assent to her assessment, he made 3 or four clones to create the seals and try them on each other before he did it so he could know the effects first-hand instead of just through the book. While they were doing that, he did his physical training, though he set his body to autopilot so he could talk with Kogo. 'So, Kogo-chan, I was wondering about, well, you. You know everything about me, but I barely know you.'

**'Well what do you want to know? It can't be too broad of a topic, or we'll be up here for a week. I've seen and done A LOT, ya know.' **

Naruto had to think for a bit there. After a few moments, he asked, 'Do you have a family, Kogo-chan?'

Kogo was a bit surprised at the question but answered nonetheless. **'Well, I guess you could say the other bijuu are my family? Kinda. Not really, at least not anymore. We were really close, but eventually we were separated, either from being sealed or just exploring the world. Shukaku, the Ichibi, was sealed away rather early on by some humans, though most of us didn't really like him at that point. He is the weakest of us, and he got rather insecure about that, even though his defense was the best out of all of us, and he could technically seal us in the right situation. Meh. Eventually, he became paranoid towards the rest of us, then he just went bat-shit crazy. None of us knew why, but he did.**

**'Next there's Matabi, the Nibi. She was actually pretty close with me... and by close, I mean we were, ah, "fuck buddies", I think the term was. I could willingly switch between genders when I was whole, so it got rather kinky. She eventually got taken control of by the Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju, a monster of a man if I've ever seen one. Actually, he got all of us except Shukaku. Ain't that a bit of irony for you. **

**'Isobu, the Sanbi, was pretty chill with everyone, though no one every got too close to her. She used to be really solitary and rather timid, so it made sense that she'd go off alone, then got captured. Son Goku, the Yonbi, was a proud fucker. Strong, but way too proud for his own good. He was really lucky to be as strong as he is, because he challenged everyone up to the Nanabi to a fight at least once. Gyuki, the Hachibi, managed to kick his ass though.**

**'Then there's Kokuo, the Gobi. He's a dog, dolphin, horse thing. I could never figure that one out. He said he was a horse, but... You'll understand if you ever see him. Anyway, he was also very proud, and actually managed to force Gyuki to try in their last fight, so I'd say he's earned his pride. He's also rather old fashioned, so he always came of as polite, even when insulting one of us. After him, there's Saiken, the Rokubi. She was actually rather kind to most everyone, and the most willing to help. Her acid hurts like a bitch though.**

**'After her, there's Chomei, the Nanabi. Last I saw, she was energetic, happy-go-lucky even. She even calls herself "Lucky Seven" Chomei. But that's a facade of sorts that she'd created. Son, and later, Kokuo, bullied her, calling her an "insignificant bug", among other things. Probably because she is a bug, but that's not the point. I was actually her support among the bijuu, so I'd say we got along just fine.**

**'Almost to me! Gyuki, the Hachibi, is as proud as most of us bijuu are. He's pretty smart too, though he's also rather to me, though that's probably due to te fact I had ranked their power by tails. Though, it was accurate... sans Son, which is probably why he's annoyed. Regardless, he's strong. REALLY strong. If you ever get the chance to meet him, take it, but do NOT piss him off. I am, when whole, the strongest by far, but when he was mad, he made me try a considerable amount to beat him down.**

**'And finally, Moi. I, and I am most definitely tooting my own horn here, the strongest thing alive!... when I'm whole. Right now I'm building back up to that power, but whatever. I-... Actually, I have a better idea. Instead of just explaining about myself, I'll make you understand me. A long time ago, our "father", the Rikudo Sennin -yes, that Rikudo Sennin- created the precursor to modern ninjutsu. It was called ninshuu, and it was used to connect people spiritually through chakra so that understanding each other and having a peaceful world was possible. People eventually began to knead it within themselves to create ninjutstu of today, but that's beside the point. I'm going to connect with you so that you can understand me, hatred and all. Do you want to?**

Naruto didn't even have to think for a second. 'Of course!' As he was answering, though, he'd noticed that he'd completed more than 50 laps and his legs were letting him know. 'Gimme a sec'. I'll come in there, so I gotta stop my legs from killing themselves.' Stopping and checking on his clones' memories, he saw that they'd finished a while ago. _'That is gonna be hell for a while.' _

Sitting in a lotus position, he made a few more clones to practice his control with everything and went into his mind to meet Kogo.

* * *

Into the Mindscape we go!

* * *

Appearing in Kogo's house in his usual attire, or lack there of, he found her laying on her couch, upside down and facing him. "Hi, Kogo-chan. So, how is this done exactly?" Smiling at him, she explained the process to him. **"Okay, this is basically just taking the energy within yourself, without kneading it like for jutsu, and just concentrating it to a point of contact, say your hand. Then you just, well, make contact. This'll be easier for you since, with your clones and such, you've gotten used to just pushing your body's energy outside of your body without kneading it.**

**'Now, this is going to be something of a temporary merger. You'll see everything from my perspective, feeling what I was feeling, thinking what I was thinking, etc. Same for me, though both will only take the blink if an eye. You'll do through my life, and understand me... hatred and all. Do you still want to proceed?' **With a nod from him and a determined look, she told him one last thing. **'I've only ever kept one thing from you, and I don't do things for no reason. Please don't overreact.'**

With that said, Naruto, who had been doing the process while she was talking, reached out his hand. She did the same, and when their palms connected, both of their vision faded away.

* * *

A/N: And I'll leave it there. I have a week of, so I can probably bring out 2-3 chapters, maybe more. Oh, and Ninshu may or may not be explained in the next chapter. I haven't decided whether or not to leave it for a flashback, but I probably will. I've spent too much time in his childhood stage in my opinion, so I need to move things along. Shit is gonna start going down at least two chapters from now, so don't hate me if they aren't to your liking... Actually, hate as much as you wish, just don't review with hate. Constructive criticism, on the other hand, is welcome. Now, onto what we all know is the most important part of this whole chapter, the HAREM!

(**Bold=Confirmed**, _Italics=Probable_, Normal=Possible

**Kogo(Fem Kyuubi)**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

**Fem Sasuke**

**Fem Gaara**

**Fem Hidan**

**Yugito(She got enough votes by last time.)**

_Anko: 2_

_Temari: 2_

_Tenten: 1_

_Shion: 3_

_Shizuka: 1_

_Matabi(Nibi): 2_

Fem Kakashi: 1

Thanks for the input peoples! I'd rather not just thrust my pairing out there, since I like around fifty... jk, just 5. Also, even if they aren't on the list for the harem, I'll probably make a few other characters girls, just to balance out the gender thing. Thank you for reading, as usual, PM me if you have anything to say. BYE GUYS( or GALS)!


	7. Progress at Last (I'm Back, Guys!)

A/N: Before anything else, the word count on the previous chapter was 9001... Don't worry, I won't say it. Anyway, hello peoples! I'm back (finally) with another chapter, as you can plainly see. Before I can get to anything about content, this story's rating will be changed to M. I was gonna try and keep it restricted to T, but I physically can't, especially with how graphic this may end up getting. Okay, that's out of the way. So, I'll be getting up to, if not into the academy in this chapter, possibly even out of it; I don't know 'cause I don't really plan these chapters. I just feel like I've spent to long with him as a child, so, even if the chapter is really long compared to my others, I will be getting through that part. Unfortunately, I'll be laying off the crime aspect of the story for a bit, though some development of that will be going on in the background and will be brought up later. You guys'll see that later, and I'll drop some hints in this chapter too. Regardless, if people complain about the chapter length, I'll split the chapter and re-upload it. Oh, and the title will make sense or change within, say, the next chapter. Now, on with the story!

Oh, and Banjo the Fox, MAKE UP YOUR FUCKING MIND! Human trafficking is a part of the crime world that you wanted him to take over, just saying. The hell are you going to blacklist this fic for? That doesn't fall into MA, just maybe M, which I switched my rating to, and I don't see anything in the rules prohibiting that in your stories anyway. Besides, he wasn't going to actually sell little girls or anything. His coming skill set will be... well, God-like, and his mind has been trained to an ANBU level for a long time, so he... fuck this, just read the fucking chapter, you dumb ass. Unless you are the kind of person to assume, in which case, I must respectfully ask you to not review, as many things won't go as they may seem; I don't need bitching coming in as feedback.

Also, if his age is a point where any of you guys/gals disagree on the reality of(I'm talking to you, Alviniju), I'll either explain that in an author's note later, or in the story. Probably next chapter, if not the one after that.

* * *

Kage Bunshin \- Jutsu (I don't think I'll be having NINJAS call out their moves that much though. It will probably be made fun of a lot later on in this story.).

**I will destroy you and everything you hold dear.** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech/thought.

_Do angels go back to heaven when they die? _\- Thought/Flashback stuff.

OH MY FUCKING GOD - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication (which is present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

* * *

_**Recap:**_

**"Now, this is going to be something of a temporary merger. You'll see everything from my perspective, feeling what I was feeling, thinking what I was thinking, etc. Same for me, though both will only take the blink of an eye. You'll do through my life, and understand me... hatred and all. Do you still want to proceed?" **With a nod from him and a determined look, she told him one last thing. "**I've only ever kept one thing from you, and I don't do things for no reason. Please don't overreact."**

With that said, Naruto, who had been doing the process while she was talking, reached out his hand. She did the same, and when their palms connected, both of their vision faded away.

_**And Now-**_

* * *

After they returned from their vision (A/N: Nope! Not showing what they saw.), Naruto just stood there for a while, and Kogo followed suit, neither willing to meet the other's eyes for different reasons. Barely any time had passed since they put their hands together, but it felt like an eternity for Naruto. An unpleasant one at that.

Finally looking up at Kogo, he could only ask, "How?" In response, she just gave a somber smile. **"You learn to live with the hate. Even when its source is constantly surrounding you, attempting to harness your power, and even capturing you. So... do you blame me for...?"**

Naruto looked down for a moment before answering. "You were in control of yourself when you stabbed them..." At this, Kogo braced herself for what she was sure was coming. "...but I would've done the same thing. I can't hold fighting so hard for your freedom against you, but..." As he trailed off, Kogo froze in shock at the fact that he was able to forgive her so easily. _'Well, he never actually had any attachment to them.'_

Sighing, Naruto let his unfinished thought die. "I don't hate you. I don't have enough people close to me to be choosy based on the past. I didn't have parents, and my life won't end because of that." Unknown to both of them, despite his peaceful attitude at that moment, the exposure to the concentrated hatred embodied in her chakra had a lasting effect, and it wouldn't make itself known for a while. Blissfully ignorant, Naruto just gave her a hug, surprising her greatly as he'd never been the one to initiate a hug, and allowed himself to fade out of his mind.

* * *

_**Back in the Real World**_

* * *

Regardless of its lasting effects, Naruto managed to bury the hatchet there. Unfortunately, as he came out of his mind, he found himself surrounded by ANBU. Only one word came to mind at that moment, and he let it be heard. "...Fuck..."

For a while, none of them moved, not like Naruto could with at least 3 tanto at his throat, a kunai over his heart, and a kunai poised to puncture each lung. When he was about to try the kawarimi with a clone, one of the ANBU just grabbed him and shunshin-ed to the Hokage's office.

Appearing there, Naruto could only think, _'The one time, the ONE FUCKING TIME, that I stop focusing on my surroundings, I get arrested. FUCK!' _Reluctantly walking along with the ANBU, he made his way to the Hokage. 'Do I run, Kogo-chan?' **'No point. This whole village will be looking for you, even the Hyuuga, despite their relations to you. The villagers want you caught, and killed by the way, while every ninja will follow the Hokage's orders. Just talk your way out of this one.' **Sighing, he resigned himself to using all of the manipulation skills drilled into him by Haitatsu to get through this encounter with a positive result.

Approaching the Hokage's office, he made a plan to appeal to the Hokage's soft heart along with his fondness of him. After they entered, the ANBU were dismissed by Hiruzen. After a few tense seconds, Naruto broke into a grin. "Hey, jiji! It's been a while, hasn't it?" Hiruzen smiled, though, as genuine as it was, it looked a bit strained. "Hello, Naruto-kun. It has been a while, hasn't it? You've grown so much since I last saw you."

His grin, if possible, grew. "Yeah, I have, haven't I? So, why was half the zoo on me just now? I was in the middle of training?" He ended with a pout, setting Hiruzen's doubt at ease, at least partially. Hiruzen was thinking of a way to ask Naruto, who he thought was still ignorant of the Kyuubi, what was happening with the youki he was radiating. "Naruto?" Naruto just raised an eyebrow. "How, exactly, were you training?"

Naruto thought for a second on how to answer the question, then decided that going for the shock method would be the best here. Wiping the thoughtful look off his face, he put on a grin again, this time even closing his eyes to hide them. "Oh, I was training with the giant mass of chakra sealed in my gut." The Hokage's face, in that moment, was as white as a sheet of paper. All the ANBU shifted slightly, ready to jump to the Hokage's aid.

Naruto, on the other hand, just kept his grin in place, but slowly opened his eyes. Though he was still a six year old, his eyes gave off the look of a cat looking at a mouse stuck in a mouse trap. Deciding whether or not to eat it in that moment or play with it for a while.

Hiruzen, seeing Naruto look at him with those eyes, managed to pale even further. Given how he was being looked at, Hiruzen was unsure of how to proceed, as he didn't know what Naruto knew. Addressing Naruto slowly, he began, "Naruto-kun, please understand. I-" Naruto stopped him with a raised hand. He curled up all but two fingers and said, "Two things, Jiji." Lowering his hand, he continued, "I understand that you probably just wanted me to have a normal childhood, but you should've known that was impossible from the moment you knew of the villagers' irrational hate. I won't hold it against you too much; you got me a nice place to stay, though I question why you thought a 3 year old, as quickly developing as I am, was fit to live on their own, you cared for me when no one else bothered to, you... were the first one there for me. Seriously though, how did you think a 3 year old could live alone?"

Hiruzen could only chuckle nervously. "Well, I did have an ANBU or two monitor you until you showed you were actually able to do well enough on your own, and you learned rather fast, especially with that nice elderly couple in your building to help you. You learned how to cook... kinda, how to wash to a decent level, and how to survive on your own in general. You even had that nice old lady let you work for her, allowing you to learn responsibility and self-sufficiency. You got to the point where you didn't even need the monthly stipend to live off of by your fifth birthday."

Naruto nodded at the assessment, though he didn't agree. "Had I been any other 3 year old, I wouldn't have even understood the concept of responsibility, let alone learn to survive in the redlight district. You are so lucky that some of the prostitutes are rather nice." He could feel one of the two female ANBU in the room grow rather irritated at the mention of the prostitutes. "Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch, ANBU-san. Unless it's forced, prostitution is a completely viable way to make a living for anyone willing. People sometimes have needs that aren't satisfied by a significant other, and other people choose to be paid to satisfy said need. Some people choose it out of desperation, but... Meh. Get over it. It's not like as though just women pleasing men either. Guys please guys. Girls please girls. Guys please girls, and yes, some women do get a male prostitute because their frustrated. The world will go on; don't worry" After getting her "righteous feminine fury" quelled by Naruto's logic, the ANBU just sank into herself, ignoring the amused look she was getting from the Hokage.

Hiruzen just shook his head at the event that transpired in front of him. Getting Naruto's attention, hey moved on. "Well, Naruto-kun, now that I've answered one of your two questions, I think it's time for you to answer one of mine." Naruto just nodded. "What did you mean "training with the giant mass of chakra sealed in your gut"?" Naruto just glanced at the "hidden" ANBU, surprising Hiruzen even further at the fact he knew their exact locations. Hiruzen still got the message behind the glance and dismissed the ANBU in the room... well, his ANBU in the room.

The dismissed ANBU followed protocol and vacated the immediate premises, but stayed within earshot of a shout. Naruto, on the other hand, resisted the urge to glance at a vent. Narrowing his eyes, he asked Hiruzen, "Did you dismiss all of them?" Hiruzen gave an uneasy nod, not liking the feeling Naruto was putting out.

At the Hokage's nod, Naruto sent a chakra arm to the vent, unseen so as to not alarm the intruder further, and solidified it around their body. Yanking them back, though it required effort due to the chakra channeled to their feet, he pulled them through the vent, breaking its entrance in the process. Hiruzen jumped out of his seat with speed no one had seen him use in 5-6 years (A/N: Since the Kyuubi attack.), and quickly knocked the ANBU out of commission to avoid their possible retaliation, be it suicide or an attack.

With no remorse, he ripped the mask off of the unknown ANBU's face, only to find what he suspected and dreaded at the same time. _'This isn't one of my ANBU... Danzo, you're pushing your luck really far.' _To make sure, he made the unknown ANBU's head loll back to make his mouth open. He saw the seal that all root shinobi had on their tongue, confirming what he was hoping against hope wasn't the case. Sighing, he recalled his ANBU, telling them to bring him to the T&amp;I division as soon as possible, preferably before he woke up. Turning back to Naruto, he said, "Thank you, Naruto-kun." as he was heading back to his seat.

Sitting back down, he continued. "But, what just happened brings me to my next point. I noticed when you called out to the ANBU member before, and again when you found the hidden one; How did you know where they were? Also, how did you get that one down? In the latter, you showed powers that no one else in Konoha has, Naruto."

Noticing how the Hokage dropped the -kun from his name when addressing him, he sighed. "I told you I trained with..." stopping for a moment, he asked Kogo, 'Do you mind if I tell Hokage-jiji your name?' **'Go ahead. I don't really care who knows my name, as long as they don't get too familiar without actually knowing me.' **Nodding mentally, he continued his sentence. "With Kogo-chan, aka the Kyuubi. I also got help from a retired kunoichi, Haitatsu-baa-chan, in my training. She actually put me through ANBU training, along with Kogo, who's really the source of those powers, who helped me learn to do what you were talking about. HOW I do it... is a trade secret."

The Hokage was silent for a few moments before looking up at Naruto with real concern in his eyes. Since he was younger, Naruto was a naturally good judge of character and intention, knowing when to stay away from adults with ill intentions. Due to this, Hiruzen just asked, as confirmation, "Do YOU think you can trust it?" Clearing his throat at the growl Kogo let out in his mind, he responded, at first with a bit of an edge to his voice. "First off, she, not it." He paused to give a slight glare, causing Hiruzen to apologize. "And secondly, yes, I trust her as much as I trust you, or Haitatsu-baa-chan, or anybody else, if not more."

Hiruzen just sighed, rubbing his temples to ward off the headache he was getting. "Well, if you're sure you can trust HER, then go ahead. So, is there anything else you'd like to discuss? I'm using this as my break from paperwork, so take your time." Naruto just nodded. "Before I ask what I want to, I gotta ask you something else now. Do you know the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?" Getting a nod from Hiruzen, Naruto continued in a voice similar to an adult explaining something to a slow child. "Then why don't you use them for things like paperwork?" Hiruzen opened his mouth to respond before realizing he had no response.

Closing his gaping mouth, and trying to hide his embarrassment, he made three shadow clones and leaned back in his chair with a contented sigh. Deciding to light his pipe to commemorate the "achievement", he did just that, taking a few puffs, before turning back to Naruto. "So," he began in an obviously happier tone. "What was it that you wanted, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto just smiled sadly for a moment before giving a response. "You know that in the redlight district, the Konoha Police Force has little to no power, right?" Getting a nod of acknowledgement, he continued. "Well, I'm sure you're aware that the yakuza are pretty much the government there, right?" He got another nod. "Well, I've managed to get a few... connections to the current leader. Using them, I could get him arrested with relative ease, and it would benefit both of us." Hiruzen leaned forward, now in his full "Hokage mode", and asked. "How would it benefit you?"

Sighing at the explanation he was about to jump into, he began. "Haitatsu-baa-chan had borrowed from them to keep her business afloat. A while ago, they came to her, looking for what they were owed. In order to make sure she didn't... disappear, for one reason or another, I ended up being a free service for them, in order to let them get the money they spent on her back by saving on other costs. I've only done small things, a delivery here or there, free help at an overworked whore house they run, etc., but, recently, I was assigned an upcoming job that I don't think I wanna go through with, if I don't have to. It was a... human trafficking job. I know I should've come to you earlier, but I thought it would've been fine. This is crossing a bit of a line, though." Hiruzen could only sigh, trying to think of what to do.

While the Hokage gave the matter some thought, Kogo chimed in. **'What the hell are you doing? The drug runs were good stealth training, you know!' **'I know, and I have no intention of stopping. I just wanna get paid for this shit. NOW. So, I'll just get rid of the one who is at the top currently, without getting blamed for it, and scare them into obeying me. They'll figure out that I'm a better leader in time. Besides, Shido-san was a greedy fucker a lot of the time; it's not like anyone will really miss him.' Kogo gave a nod, not that he could see it, and quieted down, curious as to the course things would take.

Hiruzen, meanwhile, thought of a plan that would take the least bloodshed, as is his nature, playing right into Naruto's hands. "Is there any way you could call him out for a... meeting? The ANBU should be able to take him into custody easily if you bring him to an open area. If we get rid of him, the rest should crumble." Nodding his head at the general assessment, Naruto added something. "I'll try and get as many of the higher ups as I can. If you just take him out, one of them will probably just assume power." Hiruzen nodded at him, proud at how Naruto had grown.

Continuing on, he asked the Hokage one more thing. "I have one more thing to say. A request, Jiji. Can I go on a trip for two years? I've already planned out a travel schedule, and I'd leave next year. You saw that I'm old enough to take care of myself here, so I'd say I could do just fine on my own out there. It's just for training anyway, Jiji. I want to become a ninja, but I doubt the people in the academy will treat me too fairly. Actually, I doubt they'd even want me to learn here. I may be strong for my age now, and I'd say I'm stronger than just about any genin, but I don't enjoy having people both stronger than me AND HATEFUL towards me so close. So I just wanna get stronger than them BEFORE they snap... again."

The Hokage had to think about it. He had made sure the knowledge of their village's jinchuriki had stayed secret, not even spoken among those who know about it, so he was probably safe from abduction in the regard. But there was the matter of getting him travel papers and such, which would give him extra work. _'Actually, I can just use a clone for that. Gotta love clones.' _Then there was the matter of maintaining his residence._ 'Though I could easily pay for that with my salary as Hokage. It's the least I could do.' _Finally, there was the matter of making sure he'd be safe from bandits and nuke-nin. _'I'll just test his strength. If he's able to at least a chunin's level, he'll be fine.' _Making up his mind, he told Naruto, "You can go, on one condition: you have to prove to me you are strong enough."

Nodding his head excitedly, the act only half faked, Naruto accepted. "So, when do I get to try?" Chuckling at his enthusiasm, Hiruzen just said "Grab on" with an outstretched hand. Taking the Hokage's hand, he was shunshin-ed to the Hokage's personal training ground. "This, Naruto-kun, is the personal training ground of the Hokage. All four of us have trained here, though Hashirama-sama, the Shodai, preferred the forest itself. Here, you get a chance to train anything in complete secrecy, since there are barrier tags preventing anyone who isn't or wasn't a Hokage, or isn't with one, from entering or seeing anyone inside. Now," at this, he threw off his robe, revealing his armor underneath it, "come at me, Naruto-kun! I may be old, but I am far from outdated! Oh, and come at me with the intent to kill, or I won't get a scratch on me."

Naruto just smiled, and channeled as much youki and nature energy as he could through his body without initiating the transformations, balancing it with the chakra he was coursing through his body at that moment. Blurring behind the Hokage, appearing in midair, he went for an ax kick to the old man's shoulder. Hiruzen saw it coming, but let it hit. Just from the speed that Naruto was able to go, he could tell the hit wouldn't do TOO much damage, and he was right, not even wincing from the blow. "Not bad, Naruto," he began, grabbing Naruto's leg. "But, you'll have to do more than move quickly!" With this, he threw him at a tree.

Feeling a bit of déjà vu from his fight with Anko, he decided to spice it up a bit. Landing on his feet in front of the tree, he made 22 clones in the deeper part of the forest behind him and had them use the moguragakure no jutsu to sneak towards Hiruzen, though he had 6 use the trees. Making three shadow clones, and allowing them to create smoke, he used the shunshin to get out of there while one of the clones took his place, his movements obscured by the smoke.

The clones, already knowing his plan, went off in a dead sprint towards the aged Kage. All three were dispersed quickly with a few well-placed punches, though Hiruzen did show some surprise when he saw they were all clones. In that moment, 6 clones jumped out of the ground, all poised to hit Hiruzen with chakra weapons they made. Two of them had a fuma shuriken in their hands, spinning it like a buzz saw with chakra, two had a bunch of projectiles, shuriken in one hand and kunai in the other, ready to throw, and the last two had throwing knives, which Naruto found bad ass so he practiced in his free time. Letting them all fly, the clones were shocked when the old Kage managed to dodge ALL of them, not one of them even scratching him. They were even more shocked when the weapons of the clone across from them collided with their bodies in various positions, dispersing them into chakra which Naruto reabsorbed a good portion of, thankfully for him.

As Hiruzen was settling back into a stance, 10 more clones popped out of the ground, in pairs, all about to throw out a jutsu. Though none of them said it, one of the clones in each pair mentally shouted either, _'__Futon: Daitoppa! (Wind style: Great Breakthrough!)__' _or _'__Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!(Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!)__' _. Letting the jutsu fly, each pairs' jutsu combined, the already boulder sized fireball being amplified by the compressed gale force winds created by their counterpart, to form a raging inferno that went flying towards Hiruzen. The clones then dispersed, having poured all the chakra they were made with into the jutsu.

Eyes wide, Hiruzen's first instinct was to jump, which he did with gusto. After he was airborne, he performed a flawless kawarimi no jutsu (substitution technique) with a tsuchi bunshin (earth clone) he had on the ground, hidden from Naruto, or at least he thought it was. The kawarimi's execution was perfect enough Naruto's perpetually active radar technique couldn't tell the difference immediately and it wasn't detected until it was too late to stop. Unfortunately for him, Naruto actually planned for it, and, after noticing the switch, set his plan into action.

The remaining 6 clones in the trees, still believing that Hiruzen was airborne, did their jobs and jumped out, doing the same combo as the clones on the ground before dispersing. With nowhere to go, the tsuchi bunshin was hit by the infernos racing towards him, causing him to disperse into mud which was also burnt rather badly.

In the trees, Hiruzen smiled at the power Naruto possessed. '_While it's still ages away from what any Kage can accomplish with those two jutsu, this skill is coming from a 5 year old!' _he thought to himself before feeling a buildup of a rather large amount of chakra behind him. He dove out of the way as fast as he could, and, when he reviewed what happened, he was glad he did.

Naruto hadn't been idle while his clones were busy with the old Kage. He'd been building up as much chakra as he could possibly control at once, a large amount, even to a seasoned jonin. Once he reached his maximum without alerting the old man of his actions, he added a considerable amount of youki along with nature energy, making the store as powerful as he could get it in the time period he had.

After the Hokage had let his guard slip slightly after the successful kawarimi, he blurred behind him with some concentrated youki from Kogo, as he couldn't use anymore of his own at that point, before mentally shouting _'__FUTON: RENKUDAN! (Wind style: Drilling Air Bullet!)__' _and letting the compressed air fly from his outstretched hands with as much speed and power as possible.

With his continuously increasing ability to control all the power available to him, the technique was nothing to scoff at. It tore through the ground below it, blew by and THROUGH the surrounding trees, destroying anything in its path for more than 30 yards after he released it. Unfortunately, it only nicked Hiruzen, but that was enough to send him flying into a tree. Naruto, sadly, was unable to capitalize on it due to being drained from the magnitude of the technique. _'Okay, so I don't have quite as much of any of those chakra at the ready as I thought I did.' _He could hear Kogo laughing at him in his head as her youki was drained into him, refilling his stores of energy, as he had to have a certain amount of chakra to draw in any notable amount of natural energy. **'It's a bijuu technique, my sweet little dumbass. You're still only five anyway.' **He was too drained at that moment to give more than a roll of his eyes in response.

Meanwhile, the Hokage got up and walked towards the downed Naruto, who, seeing him approach, was back on his feet in an instant, panting heavily. Holding up his hands to signify that he wasn't fighting anymore, Hiruzen said, "Don't worry. You've impressed me plenty. There aren't many who can say they've been able to push me to the point you have. Only a jonin really has a chance of doing as well as you just did. You're plenty strong enough to go in this trip of yours, though I don't see why you want to if you are this strong already." Naruto just grinned and replied through his still somewhat labored breathing. "Haitatsu-baa-chan told me that there's always someone better, so I'm just trying to be the one who's better."

Nodding at his aspirations, Hiruzen smiled. "Well, I'll help with that. Why don't you tell me what you can do already so I can give you some pointers?" Giddy at the chance to get pointers and input from the Kami no Shinobi, this excitement all real, he answered. "I can do at least two jutsu from each of the base elements, though I'm not the best at suiton jutsu yet, since my I have a natural affinity for EVERYTHING BUT that." He took a moment to grumble to himself at that, while Hiruzen allowed some of the shock to dissipate.

After the small pause, Naruto continued. "I just set a few clones to work on that every once in a while. I've completed the elemental training for all the elements, though I am still trying to do the large scale water one; clones have been correcting that slowly though. I've already managed to split a leaf and waterfall with wind chakra, burn a leaf to a crisp and maintain a fire underwater with chakra for a full two minutes, turn a leaf to dust and mold the earth under me into any shape in an instant, and I'm good enough with lightning to power my kitchen for 20 minutes... at most before my control slips. I am faster than most of your ANBU, or at least more agile, though that may just be because I'm smaller." He paused to shrug here before continuing.

"I am not that physically strong yet, but I was studying master level fuinjutsu and found the resistance seals, so I'll be using them to correct that AND up my speed and endurance. Unfortunately, I don't think I can go past level 10 without stunting my growth, so I'll hold off on going that far until I'm, say, 9, maybe 10. I can use my chakra to create things, like those fuma shuriken my clones were using, and... Oh yeah! I can use a good portion of Kogo's chakra, along with mine. I can also use either my or her chakra to affect my surroundings without actually solidifying it into something like those shuriken, like I did with that ANBU. As such, you could say I'm something of a sensory shinobi, as I can push the chakra out in all directions and do that, letting me know what's around me."

Hiruzen just gaped at the boy in disbelief. _'How! He's five, for Kami's sake! Fucking five! He may look as though he's about eight, and even that would be ridiculous, but he's been on this earth for only five years and has achieved strength greater than most seasoned chunin! Hell, most JONIN can't do what he's talking about! I don't even think he's telling me everything... He's going to be a monster when he grows up.' _Shaking himself out of his stunned stupor, Hiruzen just chuckled. "You're a very special child, Naruto-kun. Well, I'd say your measure for correcting your strength deficiency is sound, although you should let me apply the seal since I'm familiar with it already. Your jutsu repertoire seems sound, since you seem to be mastering the jutsu to the point of no hand seals instead of learning a bunch of them like most young ninja. I have a few techniques to give you, and they should help you greatly. I also recommend you at least learn one style of fighting, even if you are more of a mix and match fighter, throwing in moves where you feel they're appropriate, though I'd say you should go about learning... maybe three. It would do you good. And even if you don't do too well with genjutsu, as I can tell, still learn some... Hmm. I think I have the perfect one for you actually."

Naruto, who'd recovered fully by this point, was thankful and expressed it with a hug. "Thanks, Jiji!" He actually began to feel a little guilty about using him to gain control over the yakuza, though he quickly squashed that feeling, reminding himself of something the world taught him. _'Always look out for number one. Everyone else should be a secondary concern at best...'_ Getting over the guilt with ease, he continued addressing Hiruzen."Okay, Jiji, when should I come back for the seals? I don't have much for the week; even though I still have to deliver mail in the morning, I can have a clone do that, so anytime is good."

Nodding at him, he said, "I can do it later today if you wish. It doesn't take long to set up, it can just mess up your muscles if it's done wrong." Naruto nodded, only asking, "Does this place have a large source of water? I'm gonna get some practice in while you prepare." The Hokage just pointed to the left of him, saying "About 50 yards outside of this clearing." Naruto nodded and was about to leave for it before he seemingly remembered something.

Making a gesture for Hiruzen to come over to him, he waited until he was just in front of him. At that moment, he let out a punch with as much of the energy he could build up in his fist, hitting the old Kage square in the solar plexus. As the old man dropped to one knee, Naruto dusted his hands off, saying, "That was a gift from my deceased childhood... but we're even now." Hiruzen just got up slowly, shaking off the blow with ease. "I believe I did deserve that, and more, though I don't believe I deserve your forgiveness for the mistakes I've made. Thank you, Naruto-kun." The aged Kage, after giving his heartfelt thanks, shunshin-ed out to get the materials to do the seal.

Naruto just waited for a second before sitting down and letting his reserves refill, after sending a few clones to work on the mass water manipulation that is. "Fucking shadow clones. Halving my chakra." After his moment of grumbling, he began to meditate, seeking to deepen both his connection to and understanding of nature, not only to get better at using it to replenish his chakra but because he felt as though he was gaining a lot from it. Letting his senses drift among the world around him, an hour or so passed without him really noticing it.

As Hiruzen reentered the clearing, he found Naruto sitting in a meditative trance, though the boy seemingly felt him enter as his eyes had slowly opened and were looking directly at him. Smiling at the boy, the Hokage gestured for him to come closer. Shrugging, Naruto did just that, coming to a stop in front of the old man. With Naruto in front of him, he began to give him instructions. "Take of your shirt and turn around. I'm going to apply it on your back so that you can have easy access to any battle seals you may want on your chest."

Shaking his head, Naruto asked for it to be on his chest. Relenting after a bit of convincing, Hiruzen proceeded to paint the seal on his chest, Naruto shivering as he felt the cold touch of the brush on his back. After a few agonizing minutes of the feathery touch that he just wanted to rub really badly, it was over. Hiruzen gave him one warning, in the form of a quick "Brace yourself", before he channeled a good chunk of chakra through the especially chakra conductive ink on him. Naruto grit his teeth as he felt his muscles contract and expand rapidly, the seal affecting them. He knew this was part of the process, so he was prepared to bear it, though that didn't make it too much easier.

By the end of it, Naruto let out a sigh, though even that was a bit tough with the resistance seal. Letting himself have a moment to adjust a bit to the seal, he got to his feet, albeit a bit slowly. Deciding to get a bit of training in, he asked the Hokage if he'd spar with him for a while. Getting a yes from the old man, they sparred until the sun went down, though it was more of a light warm up for Hiruzen.

By the time they were done, Naruto was on the ground, panting but smiling, glad that he was able to get his body so accustomed to the current level of the seal. Looking over to his surrogate grandfather, he thought about what to say after all he'd seen today. Only one word came to his mind though, and he let it be heard. "Whoa..."

Propping himself up, he said something to the old Kage that made the calm atmosphere tense a bit. "I'll arrange a meeting tomorrow and tell you about it. You should have some ANBU ready, since I might be able to get it the meeting for tomorrow. I'll have clone contact you when I do get it set, so be ready." Getting a nod from the old Kage, he smiled before falling back, out cold. Hiruzen could only chuckle at the sight. "He's still just a child... Though I doubt that'll be the case when he comes back."

Sighing to himself, Hiruzen just picked him up and brought him to his apartment, taking him to his surprisingly clean room and putting him in his bed.

* * *

Next Morning

* * *

Waking up, Naruto found that it was easier for him to move than when he was training with the Hokage yesterday. _'So I'm adapting faster than I thought I would... Good, this'll make training physically much easier.' _Looking to his right, he saw a few scrolls and a note on his dresser. Getting up and walking over to it, he read that they were some fighting styles and jutsu the Hokage thought would fit in well with him. Looking at the labels for some of them, he could only smile. "Kokuangyo no Jutsu (Bringer of Darkness Technique)? Bitchin'. Hmm? Futon: Shinkūgyoku (Vacuum Sphere)? Oh, this is gonna be a fun few months... I hope."

Looking down at his ruined shirt from the day before, he decided it was time to get a new one. As he was about to go get his money and just buy one, he had a thought, though he voiced it aloud. "Why the hell should I BUY clothes when I can MAKE any clothes I want out of my chakra now?" After his mind blowing discovery, he concentrated on the clothes he wanted.

Deciding to start small, he made a copy of his general shirt, pure black with the Uzumaki Clan crest (Aka the generic "Konoha" swirl) on it. Smiling at the shirt in his hands, he decided to try for pants. Thinking of his general pants, he concentrated on the type of green cargo shorts he was wearing before. He created a pair, though when he inspected it, there were a few missing buttons on a few pockets. "Shit. I can just make another, but what am I gonna do with this one?" Kogo chose then to chime in, telling him, **"It's still made of your chakra, you know. If you don't like it, then change it. You could even destroy it and remake it out of the chakra. This way, you don't have to wash it either." **Naruto grinned like he just won the lottery, though he probably did in terms of the amount of money he'd save over his lifetime in money for water.

After changing the pants with his mind, he switched the clothes he was wearing with those, after taking a shower of course, set around 20 clones to train in the Kokuangyo no Jutsu for a while, and sent a clone to the Hokage, and went to try for the meeting. Stepping to his doorway, he just transformed into Haiso through his youki, deciding to use his upped control of it. Going to his roof, he sighed, with one thought. _'I swear to fucking god, if this doesn't work... Well, I can't really blame anyone but me for this one.'_

* * *

A few hours later

* * *

Haiso (A/N: He'll just be referred to a his transformation's name when transformed from now on.) stepped out of the yakuza head building with ALL of the higher ups in tow. He got really lucky, as today they were having a general meeting where they all showed up, allowing him to get all of them when he said they'd all want to see it. In his words, "You won't believe me until you see the proof for yourself, so we'll all save our breath." Unfortunately for him, or fortunately depending on your point of view, they were mostly previous ninja, both from Konoha and minor villages, so they brought body guards(*cough* meat-shields) since they didn't quite trust him. _'Oh well. Just means a few more will bite the dust here. Poor saps.'_

Discreetly making and dispelling a kage bunshin behind the closed door to alert the clone with the Hokage of the meeting and location, he led them behind the Hokage Mountain. As soon as he arrived, the leaders began demanding what he brought them out here for. Smiling he made one more clone, telling the Hokage that they were all gathered. Keeping up the act, he began to explain about a huge shipment for a large rival he'd managed to intercept info about and the fact they'd be passing pretty close to Konoha, though it was all bullshit. The Hokage then appeared and had all of them arrested, not one of them standing a chance against the surprise assault from ANBU.

The Hokage even tried to have Naruto arrested, but he was able to avoid the ANBU long enough to explain. After getting them to calm down, he went back into being Naruto in front of all of them, though the yakuza members were knocked out already.

Looking to the Hokage, Naruto began to talk, this time lying through his teeth. "Thanks, Jiji! They were all former shinobi, so I doubt I could've done that myself, hehehe." The Hokage just smiled at him with a nod before addressing the ANBU present. "Take them to the T&amp;I division, now. Don't forget to search for cyanide packs in their mouths; they were former shinobi. Also, make sure to give Ibiki that piece of information. He will know how to proceed on those with shinobi training."

Turning back to Naruto, he asked, "How are the seals going so far?" Naruto just deadpanned, "I was avoiding your ANBU a minute ago. You tell me." Hiruzen just chuckled at that. "Well, Naruto-kun," he began, "how would you like to train with me again today? I have time, since you enlightened me on the secret of defeating... paperwork." The last word was said with such malice that Naruto, for a moment, actually thought it had done something to get a grudge out of the Hokage.

Shaking his head, he just said, "I'll train alone for a while. I'll take the rest of the weak to push myself to the limits before I split my time again, and I intend to use ALL of it. But a shinobi has to have a few secrets, you know." With that said, he shunshin-ed out of there, greatly surprising the Hokage.

* * *

Two Months Later- August

* * *

Naruto's eyes shot open at the feeling of a kunai flying at his head. Glancing at it, he stopped it in its tracks before looking at the owner of said weapon. Smirking at Anko, he hopped out of bed and said, "Good morning to you too, Hebi-chan." Sending a clone to start breakfast, he looked over at Anko and asked, "Do you have any missions today? Rent's almost due, you know." Pouting at him, she asked, "You're really going to make me pay for this, Naruto-kun?"

Chuckling at her, he waved his hand in dismissal. "Nah. I was just messing with you for the month. I get enough money from other sources to keep this place in shape as it is. No need to milk you dry." Yes, Naruto owned his apartment building now. How? Well, as a yakuza head, if only in secret, money is no problem. Combined with the fact he could make perfectly healthy bodies and organs with his chakra manipulation technique and knowledge... well, he's set for a long time. Thankfully, that ability, combined with his dislike for certain things, allowed him to get rid of most human trafficking in Konoha. Also, having long since proven he could handle himself, the Hokage granted him some seriously early emancipation, allowing him the ability to have bank accounts, own land, leave the village on his own, enroll himself in the academy, etc. This also let him allow Anko to move into his building earlier in the month after her house was (finally) successfully torched by villagers, for free at that.

Regardless, Anko, being Anko, took everything as sexually as possible, and responded as such. Pulling aside her trench coat, she began to tease him. "Well, you won't get anything if you try to milk me, but you can certainly try. No hands though, Naru-chan." Rolling his eyes, though a very small smile was present on his face, he muttered, "Pedophile." Clearly hearing what was said by him, she smirked and, using a burst of speed, appeared behind him. Licking his ear, she said, "You haven't responded to me in a while, you know. I'd say my mission today is to correct that; I'll have to stop going so easy on you." Even though he spoke to her daily, he wasn't confused at all by what she meant when she said "responded".

Wanting to save himself the trouble through the day, he let himself blush at the contact. In his mind, he could hear Kogo laughing at him. She, between laughs, managed to say, **'And the score so far today is Naruto-0, Anko-1.' **Rolling his eyes at her commentary in his head, he used a shunshin to appear in front of his dresser. Staring at himself in the mirror, he pulled his hair down, seeing as it was starting to spike up. Getting a brush out and using it to do as brushes do, he told Anko, "I'm taking a break today. Walk in the park, visit Hinata-chan, etc. Do as you please, but I want my suite to be in good condition when I come back, so no sex, no parties, and no sex parties, even if only a few people come... Actually, only a few people would come anyway. Regardless, I don't like the smell that lingers in here when you do any of that shit. Not sure why the fuck you like doing that on my floor. I gave you a full god forsaken floor of your own." He grumbled the last part to himself, though Anko easily heard it.

Anko just laughed at his displeasure. "You have a better floor. If you want me to keep it confined, improve my floor." He rolled his eyes at her reasons and made a mental note to get some improvement done to the building by the end of next month. After giving her some more restrictions, he made his way to the park in a simple orange hoodie-vest and black cargo shorts. Walking around, he saw Hinata taking a walk with her family. As Hinata noticed him, they both waved at each other, though Hinata was content to spend time with her tou-san, kaa-chan, and imouto (A/N: Father, mother, and younger sister, for those who don't know.), and Naruto was happy to let it stay that way.

As usual, when he walked through the park, the parents started whispering and pulling their children out of the way. Off in the distance, he saw some of the clan children playing, but decided to leave them be. Rolling his eyes at the parent's continued behavior, he made his way to the tree he usually sat in and pulled a book out of a sealing tag on the inside of his hoodie. Reading for a while, he let himself get immersed in the book he was reading, though most would consider an advanced book on the differences in female and male physiology quite boring. After an hour or two, he'd finished the book, as it was less than 300 pages, and was reviewing the information in his head.

As he was doing that, he felt some jutsu get thrown around outside of the training grounds or clan compounds. It was actually in the forest behind the Hokage monument. _'Why is shit always happening back there?' _Sighing, he decided to check it out, discreetly leaving his tree to follow the signatures he'd detected. Being careful, as all the signatures were rather strong, he found a branch to spy on the area. Looking down he saw an Uchiha facing off with a bunch of ANBU in what seemed to be a death match.

Waiting a while to see if he should jump in, and on whose side, he listened to the fight to see if any info would be dropped. Unfortunately, the ANBU were actually defeated by the Uchiha, who'd used his Susanoo to finish it, leaving him vulnerable afterwards, and leaving Naruto no clues as to what was going on. Just as he was about to label the trip as a waste of time and leave, an old, bandaged man he recognized as Danzo Shimura appeared behind the Uchiha, causing said Uchiha to turn around. His hand shot out and went for one of the Uchiha's eye, making Naruto widen his own eyes. _'He's after this guy's __Sharingan__. I don't know what he wants with it, but Jiji told me about this guy and whatever he wants with it won't be good.' _Thankfully, the Uchiha managed to dodge the grab and jumped back, pulling out the tanto he'd sheathed previously.

Naruto knew whose side to choose now, so he made a move. Going into what he was starting to call "yakuza mode", he used youki and transformed into Haiso before making a tiger sign with his hands and mentally saying, _'__Kokuangyo no Jutsu,__'_, directing it at Danzo. The man looked around frantically, unsure of what happened to his sight, before calming down and focusing on his hearing and smell, as his sensei, the Nidaime, taught him.

As he was doing that, Haiso shunshin-ed over to the unknown Uchiha and asked, "Are you okay?" This drew the attention of both the panting Uchiha and blinded Danzo, though neither was in much shape to do anything. "He's trapped in my Kokuangyo no Jutsu at the moment, so we should leave before I run out of chakra." Nodding uneasily, the Uchiha made his way out of the clearing, Haiso on his heels.

Clearing his throat, Haiso began. "We should get to the Hokage ASAP, unless you're injured. We can head to the hospital if you are." Shaking his head, the Uchiha responded. "I don't need to go to the hospital, though I need to rest; the wounds themselves are minor. I used up most of my chakra, so I'm barely conscious right now." Even as he said this, he was slowing down rapidly. Haiso nodded, before dropping down to the forest floor, only a few yards inside the tree line. The Uchiha leaned against a tree, letting himself slide to the floor, still panting heavily.

Moving over to him, he sat down beside him after setting a few clones into the trees as birds in order to be look outs. The Uchiha smirked at him and said, "Thanks. The name's Shisui, by the way. Shisui Uchiha." Nodding, Haiso responded. "I figured you were an Uchiha. You have the eyes, the clan crest, the proud look. You're already nicer than most I know of, though. No offense." At this, Shisui chuckled. "None taken. So-" he was cut off by the arrival of Itachi Uchiha. "Yo, Itachi. Glad you made it, but the party's over." As he said this, he succumbed to chakra exhaustion.

Itachi looked over to Haiso, a raised eyebrow the only hint of emotion on his face and indication of what he wanted. Sighing, and starting to feel the strain of keeping the Kokuangyo no Jutsu active against the escape attempts of someone who knows the jutsu, he gave a quick response. "Danzo wanted his eyes. I stopped him, but he's still trying to break out of my Kokuangyo no Jutsu as we speak. Shisui was also facing some ANBU before I jumped in, though I don't think they were on orders from the Hokage or an ANBU Captain."

Itachi nodded in thanks before giving a "follow me" gesture as he picked up Shisui's body. "We're heading to the Hokage." With that, they both shunshin-ed there.

Appearing in the Hokage's office, they found him lounging in his chair, reading a copy of IchaIcha. Clearing his throat, Haiso got the Hokage's attention. Hiruzen looked up, sighed, then put the book into his drawer, trying to maintain a professional air after being caught reading porn on the job. Looking at the transformed Naruto and Itachi with an unconscious Shisui over his shoulder, he hardened his gaze and demanded, "What happened?" Haiso gave him the same response he gave Itachi, now panting from the constant drain of the A-Rank technique. This time he added, "I'm almost at my limit for maintaining the technique, Hokage-sama. He is still there, but I can only guarantee that for a minute or two more at most." Hiruzen nodded and sent some ANBU to retrieve Danzo.

As they reappeared with him, Haiso was instructed to release the technique, which he did gratefully. Danzo had chakra suppression seals applied to him, preventing him from escaping in any fashion, so Hiruzen dismissed the ANBU and looked at the recovered Danzo in anger. "What, exactly, did you think you were doing!?" Danzo met the Hokage's glare with a stare of equal intensity. "I was doing what had to be done! What you were too spineless to do."

Feeling the type of conversation become somewhat classified, Naruto made a clone outside the window, had it turn into a fly with his Nise Gaiken, and fly inside to spy on the Hokage's conversation. Good thing he did too, because as soon as the fly got in and perched itself in a corner, the Hokage told him, "Sorry, but what we are about to discuss is classified information. Could you please tell the secretary that I need my advisers here for a meeting ASAP on your way out?" Nodding, he walked out of the room and did as he was asked. After giving the message, he shunshin-ed to his building.

Appearing inside as his normal self again, he smiled deviously to himself, thinking, _'No more secrets, Jiji.' _Taking in his surroundings, he found Anko talking with her friend Kurenai in his living area. Shrugging, he made his way over to his fridge, grabbed a soda, and said "Hello, ladies. Don't mind me." before walking to his balcony to admire the scenery. Looking around, he found many of the previously run-down buildings redone and being redone, courtesy of himself of course, and people generally looking happier. Yeah, there were still prostitutes who hung out on corners, but he wasn't bothered with that. People still looked at him differently, but that's to be expected when he lives in the same building as a known yakuza boss and seems buddy-buddy with him.

Sighing, he looked up at the sky and found the sun was setting. At that moment, he got the memories from his clone and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "A coup detat? Really? Not sure how they thought that was gonna work out. Surprised Danzo was let off so easily, though. No jail time for treason, nothing. Just giving his word to stop the bull. Ha. His word doesn't mean shit, Jiji." Hopping onto the rail, he swung his legs in the air.

He just stretched his chakra as far as it could go, and found that he was able to cover most of Konoha when focusing on it. After a few minutes of this, he realized he hadn't heard from Kogo since he woke up. Thinking that Kogo was awfully quiet today, he entered his mindscape.

* * *

Mindscape

* * *

Walking into Kogo's house, he was wondering why she was so quiet today. Sensing the concentration of youki in one of her rooms upstairs, he quietly made his way up there. Looking around, he found nothing, though when he listened closely, he heard a low growl, though it sounded a bit odd to him. Tracing it to one of the doors, he found it was open a crack. Looking in, feeling as though she was in there, he found her... doing things. She was stark naked, as per usual, but she had her face buried in a pillow, presumably so he wouldn't hear her, her ass in the air, and something he didn't bother to identify blurring between her legs.

Catching a glimpse of this, Naruto, face totally blank, backed up from the door quietly but quickly and let himself fade out of the mindscape.

* * *

Back in the Real World (A/N: Emotional roller coaster inbound)

* * *

With a blank look on his face, Naruto thought, _'So THAT is what she's been doing... Holding that over her head for while!' _At the last part of his thought, his face broke into a grin. With his chakra still outstretched, he felt Haitatsu's energy, one he was rather familiar with, get very weak, very quickly. Panicking at the sudden shift, he shunshin-ed over there to see what was happening.

At his arrival in her training ground/basement, he found Haitatsu on one knee, panting and bloody, holding her hand over a particularly bloody spot at her stomach. Two blank-masked ANBU were facing her, both rather tired. Growing enraged, he used the chakra he had in the air to grab then crush both shinobi, making blood fly all over the place. In their tired out state, they stood no chance of getting out, though, once they've been caught, no one has actually escaped.

Paying no mind to his bloodied surroundings, he rushed over to Haitatsu. Looking at her, he saw that she'd been stabbed in the stomach, presumably by one of the tanto the ANBU carried. Haitatsu managed to smile at him and say, "Thank you, Naruto..." between pants before passing out. Panicking, Naruto did the only thing he could think to. He grabbed onto her and shunshin-ed to the Shinobi Hospital.

Arriving, he shouted, "I NEED A DOCTOR OVER HERE! SHE'S BLEEDING OUT!" As he shouted this, he was putting pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding as best he could. From his knowledge of anatomy, and the amount of blood she was losing, she had taken a blow to the abdominal aorta, possibly, if not likely, nicking her stomach tissue and releasing its acid into her system.

Everything from there was a blur for Naruto. Medical shinobi questioned him after she'd been taken into the ICU. They were keeping her alive as best they could and were probably going to operate on her. As distraught as he was, he, as the only one with any knowledge of what had happened, was questioned thoroughly. The Hokage himself, who'd decided to check on Naruto a while after he left with his crystal ball, had appeared to see why he was in such a state. He'd stayed with Naruto the whole time to console him as best he could. Both of them ended up staying there the whole night without realizing it.

By the next morning, Haitatsu's operation was done, but there wasn't much they could do. She was too old to survive the trauma her body had been going through. She was apparently stabbed straight through by the ANBU member. It hit exactly what Naruto predicted and then some. The stab had actually gone through her stomach, giving the harmful acid two point to exit her stomach from, which it did, somewhat damaging other internal organs as well. She'd been cut in more than one major artery, though that was the first one Naruto noticed, and had lost far too much blood. She just wasn't strong enough to live through it.

After getting the news from a doctor, he was given time alone with her as the only known person close to her. After a few moment of silence, Haitatsu made the first move as the stone faced Naruto wasn't going to move anytime soon. Reaching up to Naruto, she put her hand on his head and smiled at him as best she could. Laughing weakly, she said, "Thank you so much, Naru-chan. I... I have to say, you were the best employee, the best pupil, and the best grandson I could ask for." Naruto couldn't keep up the facade nor hold back his tears any longer, and they flowed down his cheeks freely at her words.

Holding back sobs, he wrapped his arms around her. "I-I... Please don't go Haitatsu-baa-chan." In that moment, Naruto felt every bit his age. He wasn't an adult, he was a five year old. He wanted, no, needed his baa-chan to stay with him. He didn't know what to do without her. Haitatsu smiled sadly at him. "I don't have a choice, Naruto-kun. I wish I was able to be your baa-chan for longer, but I'm happy with what I got. You can have all of my things; I have no other family. I just want you to do one more thing for me, Naru-chan." Sniffling, he nodded shakily, getting off her chest. "Give Konoha one more chance. I can see that you didn't want to stay, and you were only doing so for a very small amount of people, me included. I'm going, and the Hokage's old probably gonna follow soon, but stay, please. I know it's selfish for me to ask this of you, but I love this village. It's my home. Promise me you'll protect it." Looking down, Naruto just stayed silent for a time before looking up at Haitatsu again. "O-okay, baa-chan. I'll... try my best"

Haitatsu smiled at him, and laid back. "Thank you, Naru-chan." After that, the heart monitor that was going next to her flat-lined, and he felt his heart stop too. His tears stopped flowing, leaving the tracks they took on his face visible. His face didn't betray any emotion anymore, though his thoughts were another story. _'Never again. I'll never let this happen to me again, one way or another.' _Making his way out the door, he looked over to the doctor and shook his head. They entered the room and took her time of death, etc.

Naruto just walked over to the Hokage and said, "I'm going home, Jiji. Don't worry if you don't see me for a while. I... I just need some time to think." With that, he shunshin-ed to room and sat on his bed. Staring at the ground, he felt detached from himself. He felt the anger that was coursing through him, but it was like it wasn't him, as if he was experiencing it second hand. Shaking his head of the odd feeling, he decided to do something he hadn't done in a long time. He slept. Not go into his mindscape while his body rested as he usually did, or meditate and immerse himself in nature, he just allowed himself to fall into a true sleep. He would regret this action.

* * *

Naruto's Dream

* * *

He was back at Haitatsu's bedside, but she was telling him something else. "They came after me because of you. You were happy, so I'm dying. This is YOUR fault." He couldn't use his voice, he could only sit there and take it. "Why did I have to meet you? I would've been fine if I hadn't." Each word felt like a kunai passing through his heart. "You're worthless. After all the training I gave you, you couldn't do a thing to save me. I hate you." At the last words, he was finally allowed to breakdown in his dream, tears streaming from his eyes despite his best efforts. The world became black around Haitatsu. "You should've been the one to die, not me. It's only fair that I torment you now." With that, "Haitatsu" took a standard issue ANBU tanto, similar to the ones the ANBU who attacked her carried, and stabbed him through the heart.

Or at least tried to. Kogo pulled him into her half of the mindscape in that moment, and pulled him into a hug on her couch. **"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun. This is all my fault. I wasn't paying attention to what you were going through, and I wasn't there when you needed my help. Don't let your mind tell you it was your fault, because you know that's not true. Haitatsu loved you like you were her own flesh and blood. She saw you get rid of the ANBU who attacked her. She was so proud of you, Naruto-kun. More than you will ever know."** With each word she spoke, each of the insults the dream/nightmare Haitatsu spoke was stripped away. Thankfully, she looked into his most recent memories so she was able to help him at this moment.

Kogo just held Naruto for a while before whispering into his ear, **"It's okay to cry, Naruto-kun. It shows you're human."** At that, Naruto finally snapped. But he didn't break into uncontrollable sobbing. There was no hidden sadness that burst forth from him, letting him release all of his pent up emotions. No, he got mad, really, really mad. He began to radiate all of the energy inside of him. Every bit of his youki showed all of his anger, all of his chakra became sadness, every bit of nature that he had even a little control over showed the sheer magnitude of his grief at that moment. Even Kogo's youki managed to get pulled through the seal, despite her best efforts to keep it away from him.

He let go of Kogo, backed away slowly, and said, "It's because of some human's hatred that all of this began. It's because of some humans' hate that Haitatsu-baa-chan is dead. The ONLY reason for someone to attack her is her relation to me..." All of it began to swirl around him. The natural energy became an aura of sorts, glowing a poisonous green hue. "I don't want to be human! I WON'T be included in their selfishness!" At this point, both Kogo's and his own youki began to form around him, tails forming behind him. "**I REFUSE to be counted as human!**"(A/N: This is actually the first time I had a character get angry enough to warrant bold text. Just pointing it out. ^.^)

Kogo looked at Naruto, shocked at his outburst. Then, nodding her head, she said, **"That's fine too. I'm sure you intend to keep your promise either way, so you don't have to like most people. Just make sure you don't let that hate get in the way of you living your life, or your ability to form a relationship with someone who isn't like everyone else. As long as you can do that, let that hate run through you and hone it into a force you can fuel yourself with." **Being an embodiment of hatred, Kogo had no problems letting her container share the hate, as long as it wasn't a handicap for either of them.

Naruto, at her words of acceptance, began to calm down a bit. Killing all of humanity in revenge was no longer the first thing on his mind. _'What about Hinata-chan, Anko-chan, and Hokage-jiji? I still have them, and those Uchiha didn't seem so bad... though more people like those ANBU will come around...' _Looking up at Kogo, he said, "Thanks. I-... I wasn't myself there." Unknown to him, Kogo was using her youki that was still in his system to calm him as best she could, now that he wasn't angry enough to commit species wide genocide. His anger, and all the other feelings that came with it, were just beginning to wash away, and his normal attitude to her came back. Unfortunately for Kogo.

"Oh, and, next time, tell me when you want to "relieve" yourself. I'll give you some privacy." After getting in his teasing, and seeing her become flustered, he faded out of the mindscape. And it was a good thing too. Kogo's tail flew through the space where his head was the moment he left, moving fast enough that the air it pushed out of the way was visible in waves.

* * *

Real World

* * *

Opening his eyes, he found himself surrounded by ANBU and the Hokage, along with Anko. One term came to mind in that moment, which he let be heard. "Fucking hell." Sighing, he addressed them. "I'm fine, just lost control for a bit there. Strong emotion triggers... you know. I'm better now, though; just had to get that out of my system." The Hokage looked at him uneasily, but, nonetheless, nodded his head and dismissed the ANBU. Looking at Naruto, he said, "Remember that you have some people to talk to if you need it." Naruto just nodded, but still waved him off. "I'm fine. Not perfect, but fine." The Hokage just nodded and left, unsure as to how fine Naruto really was.

Anko just stared at him for a while. _'I've known him for around two months, long enough to know him well, and, right now, I can tell he's fine but... different.' _If only she knew. Looking at Naruto, she was about to say that she was sorry about Haitatsu when he held up his hand to stop her. "You know I don't like that pity shit, so don't start. Please." Relenting, she just shrugged before leaving for the mission room, looking to make some money.

Naruto sighed when everyone left. "Finally. I really don't like ANBU right now." Hopping out of his bed, not tired from lack of sleep due to the general excess of energies on his body, he just went to the roof to train a bit. Once up there, he sat for a second and thought of his mental checklist. _'At least four jutsu from each base element mastered without seals, check. Learn at least one more genjutsu, check: __Kokuangyo__. Clone technique that doesn't naturally halve my chakra but matches the __Kage Bunshin__, not yet. Up my resistance seals to at least level five, not yet. Learn complimenting fighting styles, not yet. Pick at least three weapons to become proficient at, not yet. Become proficient at said weapons, not yet. Learn and master some Iryo Jutsu (Medical Techniques), not yet.'_

Sighing, he thought, _'I still have so much to do. At least clones let me work and still have time to do this shit.' _Getting up, he dusted his pants off, took off his shirt, made a clone to up the seal on his chest, then sent a clone as Haiso to be in the office for the yakuza. _'I don't like the name Haiso for him anymore. It seems a bit too tame for the nature of the energy that makes him up and for what that visage does to my mind. Maybe... Mujihi (A/N: Japanese for merciless). Yeah, much better.' _After settling that, he got to training.

* * *

5 Days Later (All the time skips this chapter, eh?)

* * *

After applying the chakra regulation seal on his left shoulder and getting the memories from the clones who applied the preservation and security seals to his building, Naruto decided to give a final test run to his current project. "Seiei Bunshin (Elite/Efficient Clone)!" As he said that, a clone popped up next to him, did a single, low-powered Daitoppa before disappearing from using up all its chakra. "Perfect. Not too much or too little chakra; just enough for that jutsu at that strength. Chakra regulation seals are a success." Sighing, he then thought, _'Now, I just have to do this, in battle, without the seals... shit.'_

Looking at the setting sun, he decided to go visit Hinata, and maybe do one more drug run. He sent one Seiei Bunshin as Mujihi with what he figured was enough chakra to get through three runs, even though he was only doing one. While traveling, he noticed a few chakra signatures dropping on the far side of Konoha. Being the ever curious one, he decided to investigate.

Before he could get too far, Kogo decided to tell him something. **'****If you're gonna go, then transform into Mujihi or something. They won't be able to link you to any of these deaths that way.' **Nodding his head, and still heading there, he hopped to a roof, transformed, then sped off.

When he arrived, he saw many bodies lying around. He could only whistle at what he was seeing. "Damn! Whoever did this is a real fucker. Kids, elderly, ninja, everybody. Dropping like fucking flies over here." Walking through, he focused on the larger chakra signatures that seemed to be the ones killing off the Uchiha and shunshin-ed to their location.

Appearing on a roof overlooking the scene, he found the two Uchiha he knew slaughtering the others, though, at this point, it didn't seem they were facing trained Uchiha anymore. "Every threat is already gone. Don't know why they bother still; their orders were to... ah. These dumbasses." Shaking his head, he watched for a few more moments and waited until they were seemingly separating to make a Seiei Bunshin with a large amount of chakra, more than half of his, to go after Shisui while he went after Itachi.

(With the Clone) Dropping down in front of Shisui, C-Mujihi (which is what the clone will be called) waved at him. Deciding to play dumb, he greeted him. "Sup Shisui! Any particular reason you're slaughtering your clan with Itachi?" Tensing at his arrival, Shisui responded. "I am testing my power and removing a threat to the balance of the shinobi world in one fell swoop. That's all you need to know, so get out of my way."

He gave Shisui a look that said "Oh really now?" before saying, "You expect me to believe that? Maybe if you were only fighting and killing the trained Uchiha, or even those that can possibly have a Sharingan, but they are all dead. You're just killing the rest of the children, the elderly, and those unfit to be shinobi. Why are you really doing this, Shisui? I can tell you're not a bad person." Despite already knowing the answer, he wanted to hear what Shisui would say.

Sighing at his speedy deduction, Shisui gave something of an explanation. "The clan was planning a-" C-Mujihi cut him off here, choosing to stop playing dumb. "Yes, yes. Your clan was planning a Coup, so you two were tasked with eliminating the threat. But what threat do children, old people, and civilian Uchiha who can't unlock the Sharingan, and thus weren't allowed to become shinobi, pose? You've finished your mission, Shisui. It's unfortunate that you have to leave, but at least you're spying on a criminal organization. Regardless, I will not sit idly by while you kill children who can't even unlock the Sharingan. Leave, or fight. Those are your choices right now." Seeing Shisui about to question how he knew this, he just said, "My ability to gather knowledge is second to none. And the chakra of those with an unlockable dojutsu have a discernable difference. Kage Bunshin are the best scouts and I am the best at what I do. Now, answer me. Will you pursue the innocent, or will you leave now?"

Sighing, Shisui acquiesced. "I'll go. My goal of killing all those, including children, with the potential to unlock the Sharingan was just finished anyway. Just promise me that that information will remain confidential." Rolling his eyes, C-Mujihi just said, "Of course. I wouldn't want to lose what leverage I have on Danzo. Now get out of here. The chakra sensory barrier I felt up won't hold for much longer." Shocked at the skill of a "shinobi" in the village he hadn't even heard of, Shisui just regrouped with Itachi. Just as he left, Naruto felt a chakra signature get close to the original and Itachi, and this one was able to unlock a dojutsu. Before he dispersed, he only thought, _'Another Uchiha who'll bite the dust, I guess.'_

(With Real Naruto/Mujihi after this happened.) Still following on the rooftops, Mujihi found Itachi heading through streets to a seemingly specific destination, a girl running below him. He got the memories that Shisui would be coming soon, but knew he would take a while to find them, with his schedule disrupted and lack of mass sensory techniques. Regardless, with his curiosity peaked, he let Itachi go further, following stealthily. Said girl ran a different route somewhere along the line, though Itachi didn't seem to mind. Itachi seemingly reached his own destination, as he opened the door to find his wounded father laying on the ground with his back to the wall. _'Hmm? So he already fought Fugaku, eh?'_

Observing closely, heard Fugaku say that he still loved his son despite what he was doing. Despite the fact he put the village over the clan. Itachi just seemed to freeze, and, though Mujihi couldn't see his face, a tear seemed to fall from his eyes as he plunged his tanto into his father's chest. _'So much death this week. At least not ALL of them were someone I gave a shit about.' _With his new mindset, death of anyone he didn't care about was inconsequential to him, though he still wasn't one for senseless slaughter, even with the youki dominant in his body while Mujihi.

Back to the slaughter. Itachi was wiping his face from the few tears that managed to get by his cold visage. As he did that, his sister came bursting in from the front door, panting quite heavily. _'Hmm. I don't think I know this one...' _Still observing, he heard the exchange go on inside the house. Itachi told her that he was testing his abilities by killing off the clan. Naruto just rolled his eyes at that.

He could only face palm when the girl bought it, hook, line, and sinker. Sighing as she began to run away from Itachi, he jumped down and entered the house as Itachi went to cut her off where he knew she'd appear. Walking in, he saw that Fugaku was indeed alive, though that was only going to last for another half a minute at most. _'I can't heal a human heart quite yet. He's a goner.' _(A/N: He can make a heart, but he can't repair one (yet) and doesn't have enough time to transplant a new one.) Looking down into his fading eyes, he saw that Fugaku was trying to say something. Rolling his eyes, he decided to listen to the man's final words. _'I'm not_ _that much of an asshole.'_

Putting his ear really close, he heard Fugaku manage to get out the words "Save" and "Daughter" before the life left his eyes. Muttering to himself, Naruto said, "I give these fuckers too much slack. This little girl is lucky I don't like innocent death... kinda, else I'd let Itachi have her. Her father's an asshole anyway; I SO want to judge her for it, but I won't." After his mini-rant to himself was over, he sighed and focused on Itachi's signature and its surroundings before shunshin-ing to his location.

He appeared on a roof top across from Itachi, who was on a light post looking down on the girl, his sister. He felt the buildup of chakra in Itachi and wasn't gonna let him use it. Thrusting his hand forward, he mentally said _'__Futon: Daitoppa.__' _With the element of surprise, he knocked the Uchiha off his perch, sending him into the side of a building. At that exact moment, he got the memories from his clone, letting him know Shisui was on his way. Cursing to himself, he proceeded to jump down to the girl, grab her, and shunshin back to what he assumed was her house, as he'd heard her call Itachi "nii-san".

As he was leaving, he felt Shisui appear where Itachi was, grab him, and leave in an instant. Appearing in the house, he could only think, _'Such use if the __shunshin__... Damn, I just got a serious rival for speed.' _Looking around, he ignored the crying of the girl near him. Scanning the area thoroughly with his mind's eye, he was shocked to find a faint signature of life in the immediate vicinity. Grabbing the girl's shoulder and making her cry out in surprise, he shunshin-ed to its source.

When he appeared, the girl's tears began to cascade down her face as her crying devolved into sobbing. Looking down, he saw a woman hanging on for dear life, though she seemingly smiled when she saw the girl okay. _'So they're close? Maybe I should save this one... Yeah.' _Kneeling down, he had a serious sense of deja vu. She was holding herself in the same way as Haitatsu when he found her. _'No! Not again... I-I've learned about the human body enough to fix this. I hope.'_

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself. _'I promised myself that I'd learn how to stop these types of deaths on behalf of baa-chan. I can do this.' _Focusing on the dying woman on the floor in front of him, he said the first words he'd spoken in a while. "Oi, girl! Get off her. I can save her, but not if you're in the way."

The woman seemed to finally notice his presence again, as they were lost in their own world for a while, her whispering comforting words to the girl. Unfortunately, the girl had passed out on the woman's chest, tears still falling from her closed eyes. Rolling his eyes, he made a clone to pick her up and hold her. Getting to work, he used the most recent jutsu he learned, unfortunately needing hand seals for this one. _'__Chakra no Mesu (Chakra Scalpels)__.' _Using it, he was able to use youki without aligning it with her chakra to do a makeshift cauterization on the exit point of whatever blade stabbed through her so there wouldn't be two places for her to bleed out from. Keeping it active, he used a concentrated pulse of chakra as a sonar of sorts inside her body to see what was amiss. He found she had a lot of stomach acid outside of her stomach among other things. He cancelled it and took a risk.

Focusing on sending pulses of youki, which he had to focus hard on to align to her chakra signature, and natural energy through her body, he used the finer side of water manipulation combined with his growing control over natural energy to pull the offending liquid back into her stomach. Once he managed to do this, keeping his concentration, he moved one hand over her stomach walls. After making a one handed tiger seal, he tried what he was developing with clones during the week. He used the concept of the chakra no mesu, which can move inside of and affect a body without making an incision, and the shosen jutsu(mystical palm technique), which actively multiplies the bodies healing factor, to try and heal her insides, speeding up the regeneration of the cells and using his youki's properties to make it timely. _'Youki, used correctly, is a multiplier. Keep a steady flow, and she'll be fine. At the end, don't just cut the flow. Wean her body off it...'_

At this point, Mujihi was sweating. The properties of the energies he was combining were extremely complex, and he was really feeling the mental strain of keeping it all going. Feeling as though he wouldn't last too much longer, he pumped a wave of youki into her body, letting it distribute the energy as it saw fit. Slowing down and eventually stopping the flow of youki, he pulled his hand back and checked her pulse. Even though he wasn't TOO experienced with this yet, he figured that her pulse was at a good point, and, since she had no more life threatening injuries, he figure she'd be fine.

Panting at the mental strain he just went through, he made two more clones to carry their bodies to the hospital when the ANBU finally arrived. "Took you fuckers long enough! That barrier fell a while back," he remarked. "Both of them, Itachi and Shisui, are already gone." Feeling their confusion at the remark, he elaborated before continuing. "They did this. Anyway, I managed to save a good amount of the little ones and the old ones, but she MAY need professional help. Any others with injuries are dead." The ANBU, being familiar with him already, just nodded and spread out to find a trail to follow. Three of them, however, stayed, and two took the two females from Naruto, presumably for professional medical treatment. Both had passed out at this point, so there was no real problem. The two ANBU left and the one who stayed back, a dog masked ANBU, asked him a question. Well, more like gave him a command with the way it was spoken. "Could you come with me to the Hokage?" Sighing, he allowed himself to be taken.

Appearing in front of the Hokage, he just looked at him with deadpan eyes. "Before you ask me any questions, Hokage-sama, you may want to get rid of the ANBU. Classified info about this and all." Hiruzen, being fine with this, sent them all out. Before Hiruzen could say anything else, Naruto, still as Mujihi, said, "I know all about Itachi and Shisui's mission. I just saved some of those who were innocent...ish. You know, preserved the children and elderly, blah, blah, blah; didn't feel like watching a slaughter. Oh, and those who couldn't unlock their Sharingan, so they weren't allowed to be shinobi within the Uchiha. All the ones who were part of the Coup are dead. With that said, jiji, can I leave? I'm rather tired after all of that, and I have a pretty bad headache to boot." Gaping at the boy like a fish out of water, Hiruzen just nodded.

Giving a quick thank you, Mujihi just shunshin-ed home, went back to being Naruto, cleaned his clothes, and fell into his bed. The last thought on his mind before he fell into a dreamless sleep was, _'Fuck the shower for tonight.'_

* * *

Next Day

* * *

He went through the general routine in the morning. Anko, groom, Anko, breakfast, Anko, go do something. (A/N: Assume he has a clone doing the mail at this point, though he does have some yakuza working there now.) Deciding to visit the two people he left in the care of the ANBU last night, he set off to the hospital as Mujihi. Reaching the hospital, he popped in and asked for them at the reception. While at first she said that the Hokage had restricted access to them, due to the "investigation" of what happened, a few concentrated pulses of youki later and she was singing like a bird.

Walking there, he asked Kogo, 'You awake yet?' Getting a snore in response, he just rolled his eyes and stepped into the doorway. Both of them were awake and healthy. The girl apparently recognized him, because she immediately started thanking him for saving her mother. Waving her off, he said, "It was your father's final wish for me to save you. She seemed important to you, so I did my best." Addressing both of them, he spoke once more. "I don't think I got the chance to introduce myself. My name is..." at this, he had a dramatic pause and bowed to them, though it was really to think of a last name on the spot. "Mujihi Handan."(A/N: Handan just means Judgement)

Both females rolled their eyes but introduced themselves regardless. Well, the adult introduced both of them. Smiling softly at him, she addressed him. "I'm Mikoto Uchiha, and this," she said, referring to her slightly anti-social, as of late, daughter, "is my daughter Surashi. (A/N: This name is derived from the world for wonderful in Japanese, Subarashi, if you wondered. I just wanted to continue the S theme with Sasuke, even as a girl.) That's a rather dark name for such a nice person." Surashi gave him a small wave, with an equally small smile, though she found it rather hard to smile at that moment.

Chuckling, he looked at Mikoto. "The name fits when the time comes. For your sake, I hope you never have to see it, Mikoto-san." Mikoto didn't quite believe him, as he looked to be only about eight, but didn't show it. "Well, feel free to come by anytime. It... may feel a bit empty at home for a long time, so you're welcome to come by. It's the least we can do." Mujihi just nodded, not being able to argue that as his home felt rather full with just two people.

Hearing the door open and turning around, he saw a doctor enter the room. The doctor nodded at him before he addressed the mother and daughter. "I'm glad to say you both are clear to go. Whoever healed you, Mikoto-sama, knew what they were doing. The only lasting damage might be the scar where the weapon exited you, due to a makeshift wound closing." At this, Mujihi smirked to himself and thought, _'Who's better than a whole team of you fucks? That's right. Me!'_

Giving them a wave, smirk still on his face, he bid them farewell and shunshin-ed home, leaving the doctor to be stunned when they told him the boy who just left was the one who healed Mikoto. Appearing back in his home, he wondered what he was gonna do today. "May as well just train." Doing that for the rest of the day, he made himself comfortable in a new level of resistance, meeting his goal for increasing his seals.

* * *

A Few Months Later- December 27th

* * *

Hopping out of the meditative trance he replaced sleep with entirely due to overflowing amounts of chakra, he dodged Anko's customary morning greeting/attack/groping and got to his mirror. At this point, he could force his chakra into a brush without even needing to make it visible, allowing him to groom himself seemingly with magic. His hair still tried to spike up every so often, so he paid special attention to it now.

Over the course of the months, he'd taken to wearing more black, so he was staring in his mirror at the moment, wondering if he should just dye his hair. **'Well, it looks fine as it is. No need to do something that might make it worse.' **Pondering this, he made a clone to go make breakfast, then another to start making some cinnamon buns for Hinata, as today was her birthday. 'Well, I want SOME sort of change to my look. Maybe just change Mujihi's hair... maybe some red streaks.' Going into his Mujihi form, he thought about it for a while, putting some chakra into it to try and change it a bit. Only getting minimal results, he moved on, making a note to revisit the concept of changing his general features with pure chakra. Kogo didn't really have much of an opinion there, despite enjoying red a lot more than an average person, and just gave a mental shrug.

Deciding he'd be a bit lazy today, he took the chance to deactivate his resistance seals in order to get used to his new strength and speed. _'I haven't done this since my birthday, so getting used to this is gonna be a bitch.'_ Sighing to himself, he touched his chest with a chakra arm and sent a pulse through it, letting the seals deactivate fully for the first time in a long time.

Through the day, Naruto was just getting used to his new strength and speed, managing to shatter five cups and plates along with denting a pan or two, Anko laughing at him the whole time, though he just remade them all with chakra, making sure they were stronger than before. When he finally got the hang of it, he took over from his clone on getting a perfect batch of cinnamon buns. As night finally came, he was relieved. "Finally! That took fucking long enough." Anko just chuckled in the background. "Aw! That means no more free pastries?" Naruto just rolled his eyes, sealing them away in a scroll to keep them warm. "I'm not the one who has to burn off all the calories now. Hope you don't get fat." With that, he shunshin-ed out of there, making the kunai Anko had thrown at his head miss.

Chuckling as he appeared directly on the Hyuuga compound's roof, he sensed around for the Hyuuga who were no doubt getting ready. Despite his now colder demeanor, he couldn't help but smile at the warmer atmosphere that was in the air. Even though today was the day that Kumogakure was signing a treaty with Konoha, and as such, the rest of the village was celebrating, he found this celebration far more important.

Finding Hinata's signature on his "radar"(A/N: This technique will get an official name, just give me some time... fuck, getting an original name for this is hard), he shunshin-ed behind her, slung an arm over her shoulder, and said a lighthearted, by his standards, "Happy Birthday!" to her. It wasn't too well received, considering she was so shocked that she almost passed out, her heart beating in her ears. Her parents looked on in amusement, wondering if he'd ever stop doing that.

Resisting the urge to laugh again, though unable to stop the smirk that made its way to his face, he helped Hinata back to her feet, as she'd fallen back when he let go of her to fall on the floor himself, though he was laughing his ass off. "Gomen, Hinata-chan. Couldn't help it." Hinata, after she recovered fully, just pouted at him and looked away, eyes closed. Scratching his head, he tried to think of what to do. He looked to her parents, though they just avoided his eyes, leaving him to his own devices. In a stroke of genius, he had a plan. Quickly unsealing the buns while she wasn't looking, he picked up one and resealed the rest. Standing behind her, he held a bun under her nose, and started talking. "Oh no! You hate me now, don't you? I should just leave so I don't cause any more trouble. It's a damn shame too; I made all these buns for you and now I'll have to eat them all alone." All through his little speech, he moved the bun enticingly around her nose before slowly drawing it back.

Stepping back, he began to turn around, putting the bun to his mouth. Before he could get even a fourth of the way around, Hinata had already taken the bun from his hands, using speeds that made him blink in surprise. _'What the actual fuck? How do I lose track of a five, well, six year old?' _Looking up from his light, hypocritical shock, he saw Hinata eating the bun, a happy look on her face. Smiling slightly, he said, "I assume this means you forgive me now." She nodded her head eagerly before going back to the bun.

Shaking his head, he turned to her parents along with Neji and Hizashi, who'd joined while he said hi to Hinata. Walking over to them, he said, "Hey." In return he got at least a small smile from all of the adults, and even a wave from Kosen. Neji just nodded at him, though one could tell he was at least a little pleased to see Naruto if they knew him well enough. "So," Naruto began again, "how's this party been going so far? For some reason, I didn't see your clan to be one for parties, you know."

Taking the jab at their rigidity in stride, Hiashi chuckled before responding. "We weren't. It still feels a little odd to be doing this, but we can, and Hinata wanted one, so we did. All of the branch members used to throw their own little parties anyway, so this is just a larger scale for them. The elders are really uncomfortable out of their formal area of expertise, but I'd say it's a good experience for them." Hizashi and Kosen nodded in assent, while Neji just shrugged.

Hinata chose that moment to pop up behind Naruto and say, "Hi, Naruto-kun." When he turned around she hugged him before pulling back and using the infamous puppy dog eyes no jutsu on Naruto. Keeping it up, she asked, "Can I have another?" Naruto's eyes twitched, and he gave a resounding no, making her increase the intensity of the look. "You'll fill up before the actual cake, Hinata-chan." This did nothing to abate the look he was receiving; if anything, its intensity increased dramatically.

Behind him, both Hizashi and Hiashi shared a look, before laughing quietly to themselves. Still trying to keep their laughter down, Hizashi managed to whisper, "250 ryo (about $20 USD) says he makes it another 20 seconds." Hiashi, getting more of himself under control, responded. "Ha! 500 says he won't make it to ten." They resumed laughing, unable to keep it down this time, since, at that moment, Naruto's will broke and he gave her another bun.

Kosen sighed and, agreeing with Naruto's previous statement, told Hinata, "You're going to spoil your appetite like that, Hina-chan." Then she looked to Naruto and hardened her eyes. "And you, young man, should show a little more restraint. Wait until later to give her anymore. Am I understood?" Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment while Hinata poked her index finger tips together, neither able to hold the Hyuuga matriarch's reprimanding gaze as they nodded.

Coughing into his hand to retain a bit of dignity, Naruto asked, "Why are you having this in the garden?" Smiling at him, her previous annoyance gone, Kosen responded. "It's nice to do things like this in the open. It's always so cooped up inside the compound. Everything is indoors, even a lot of the training grounds. You could say we're loosening up a bit." Naruto nodded at that, considering that every change in the Hyuuga as of late was extremely out of character for the general Hyuuga as Konoha knew them.

The rest of the night progressed like that, Naruto either playing with Hinata, making small talk with anyone around, or sparring with anyone willing, though the amount willing quickly dwindled, no adult enjoying getting schooled by a six year old. As the night wore on, Naruto was allowed to stay over, since it became rather late. Gladly accepting, he made his way to his room, as the one he had first taken had pretty much become his own. This time he didn't play a prank on Ko, though he did put him on edge with a joke about one, so he just went into a trance for the night, or "sleep mode" as he liked to call at times. Tonight, he didn't feel like training with Kogo, so he just drifted for the night.

The night wore on as it would generally, Naruto's mind just wandering through nature, enjoying its embrace. Unfortunately, he felt something wrong going on. He'd memorized Hinata's signature, and he'd understand it moving if she was just, say, going to the bathroom, but, at that moment, it was with another, completely foreign signature and was moving at jonin level speeds OUT of the compound and towards the edge of Konoha. Snapping out of his trance, thankful that he didn't choose to train with Kogo today so he wasn't distracted enough to miss it, he quickly shunshin-ed to the man's signature, appearing right in front of him and making him almost fall.

The man, apparently one of the ninja from Kumo who were here on a diplomatic mission, came to an abrupt stop on a branch. Worried about who it was who managed to catch him so quickly, scanned the newcomer. Unknown to him, Naruto was subtly surrounding his limbs in more of his chakra than what normally saturated the air around him, waiting until the right moment to solidify it. The man smirked, and thought, _'It's just a kid. I'll get rid of him in a second then gtfo. I can't let anyone else see me.'_ It never crossed his mind to consider how the boy in front of him managed to find him.

Naruto, seeing the man smirk, waited until the man lunged at him, one hand holding a bag with Hinata in it and another holding a kunai, before stopping him with his chakra in midair. He made sure to put out a large enough spike that the Hyuuga and some ANBU would come to investigate a possible threat. Smiling in a predatory fashion that looked out of place on his childlike face, he increased the pressure on every bone at the joints before asking. "What are you doing with Hinata-chan?" While saying this, he used chakra to remove the bag with Hinata in it, got her out, and held her in his arms.

Since the man was still silent when he was done, Naruto pushed the bones in his right thumb, right ring finger, left pinky finger, and left arm the wrong way at all of the applicable joints. The man went to scream, but found no sound coming out. When he finished trying, he found he could hear his own panting again. "I can stop the vibration of the particles in the air which allows you the transmission of sound. I didn't do that earlier, so you have no excuse for not answering. I'm not heartless _'right now', _so I'll ask again. What were you doing with Hinata-chan?"

His silence spoke volumes, so Naruto just broke another few, this time breaking all of the rest on both hands, and not just at the joints this time, and one of his legs at the knee. He allowed the man's screams to echo a bit, enjoying them, though he didn't let them leave the area around them. He tightened the chakra around the man's neck, walked up to him, and spoke quietly. "I have no problems killing you. Did you feel the ease with which I broke everything else? I can easily do the same to your neck. And guess what? I still have INSIDE you to start on." He punctuated that by using some chakra to make a slow incision on his face, going from his cheek area all the way down INTO his uniform. The man then started to feel a pressure INSIDE his neck, making panic set in for him.

The man looked as though he was about to shit himself, though Naruto wouldn't have stopped if he did. The man got extremely lucky, though, for at that moment, the ANBU on patrol in the area appeared in the surrounding trees along with Hiashi, Hizashi, and a few other Hyuuga, including Ko. Glancing around, he said, "I found him trying to take her away. Not sure where, not sure why, but she had her in that bag." He gestured to the bag at his feet. Hiashi, the moment he saw Hinata in his arms, abandoned his Hyuuga composure and rushed over to him while he was saying this. After seeing she was fine, only sleeping/knocked out, he turned to the man in unbridled rage.

As he was about to kill him on the spot, Naruto stopped him. "Don't, Hiashi. If you want to actual be able to pin this on Kumo, you need him there to provide evidence other than our word." While he was saying this, Hinata woke up. Looking around, she tried to stay quiet and not bring the attention of the shinobi to her, a futile endeavor when Hyuuga that had their byakugan active were a few feet away. Hiashi turned to her and, when Naruto put back on her own two feet, hugged her like there was no tomorrow.

Naruto let the scene play out, deciding to turn to the ANBU. "He's no threat right now. One of his legs are out of commission. Same for his hands. No mobility, no jutsu. No internal damage either, so there is no need to treat him to make sure he survives." After reporting to the ANBU and receiving a nod from them, he turned back to Hiashi and Hinata, as the ANBU and other Hyuuga left, and asked, "Is she alright?" His mood had shifted back into his normal one without the presence of the ANBU, other Hyuuga, Kumo shinobi, and tense atmosphere. Hiashi nodded, before responding. "Let's go back now. Thank you, Naruto." Naruto just smirked before shunshin-ing to his room for the night. Going back into his trance, he did what he was doing before as if nothing happened, but in his mind, he made a note. _'Strike one.'_

In the morning, Naruto asked for some water, since he was dealing with Kogo's comments of "How hot he was last night." Sighing, he muttered to himself, "Pedophile demon foxes in my head..." The weirdness of what he just said passed through his mind, but he let the thought go as easily as it came.

Coming back to attention, he greeted Hinata. After she responded he began to tell her, and her parents, uncle, and cousin, something important, though he'd already told Surashi and Mikoto. "I'm leaving early in January, when the academy begins. I'll be gone for two years, so I figured I should tell you. Anyway, I'm going on a training trip so that I will be as strong as possible BEFORE I begin the academy." Everyone nodded, though Hinata did so reluctantly.

Looking up at him, their height difference emphasized by the fact that she was sitting, she asked, "Will you at least visit?" Naruto shook his head in a negative response, apologizing, before Neji asked his own question. "How old are you, Naruto? The last year to enter the academy is when you're eight, which is when most enter. You seem to be eight now, though, so this may be ill advised if you wish to be a shinobi of Konoha." Naruto smirked at him, expecting a good show before he left Konoha. "I only turned six this October, Neji." Hiashi, Hizashi, and Naruto all laughed at his face, each of them attempting to be at least slightly reserved, and each of them failing miserably. Both Hinata and Kosen tried to be a little more polite about it, Hinata covering her mouth to conceal her giggling and Kosen trying, and failing, to keep a straight face. Even little Hanabi, who was in her mother's hands, gave a little laugh.

Regaining his composure at the sound of the laughter, Neji coughed into his hand, trying to salvage some of his pride. "Of course, Naruto-san. Never mind what I was saying; I was unaware." Naruto nodded at him, regaining control of his laughter again. Looking over at Hinata, he made a request. "You better get stronger by the time I get back, Hinata-chan. While I don't mind playing the knight in shining armor, I don't wanna HAVE TO save you all the time; you gotta learn to do that yourself." After saying that, Naruto thought to himself, '_If you're gonna be my friend, then the world will be out to get you. I'll have to leave you alone if you're not strong enough, 'cause I can't be everywhere at once...'_

With the memory of what happened the night before in her mind, she nodded with even more resolve to grow stronger. Smiling at all of them one last time, he used his normal method of transport, aka the shunshin, to appear in the Hokage's office to get all the travelling papers and residence retaining sorted out.

* * *

A week or so later...

* * *

Walking down the street with a bag slung over his shoulder and black hoodie pulled over his hair, Naruto made his way to the gates of Konoha, ignoring the hopeful looks of the adults who noticed where he was headed and what he was carrying. During the week of preparations, he'd set everything up as best he could. He'd perfected the creation of a Seiei Bunshin that was all but alive on its own, even able to produce its own chakra/youki, so that the yakuza would still have a boss and no one who didn't already know about him being Mujihi would suspect he and Mujihi of being the same person. He'd put preservation seals on just about everything he wanted to keep when he came back, so pretty much his whole building. He'd gotten a crap top of sealing supplies so he could make scrolls that he wanted on the go, and he pre-made a bunch of scrolls as well so he could store much of his stuff to travel, and have extra storage space for anything he managed to get in the next two years. He'd made a point to learn how to keep track of his surroundings while in his mind, no matter the distraction. He was ready to go. He even had his first destination picked out. Kaze no Kuni, home of the Kugutsu no Jutsu (Puppet Technique), possessing the largest concentration of futon users in the whole of the elemental nations.

Reaching the gates, he saw that Hinata, Hanabi, Kosen, Hiashi, Hizashi, Neji, and even Ko were waiting for him along with the Hokage. Smiling slightly as he walked up to them, he asked, "What are you guys doing here?" The Hokage chuckled before answering for all of them. "We're here to see you off, Naruto-kun. We won't see each other for a while, so we each have something for you to remember us by." Naruto just shook his head. "Nothing could make me forget about you guys, but I appreciate it anyway."

Shrugging Hiruzen decided to go first. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand, Naruto-kun." Doing as commanded, Naruto felt a slight burning sensation on the back of his hand. Looking at his hand, Naruto found the Sarutobi clan symbol (A/N: Google it, for it is my favorite Konoha clan symbol) on it, seemingly tattooed on. Hiruzen confirmed this when he said, "That tattoo shows three things. 1: I, and my clan, recognize your strength. 2: I love you as I do my own family. And 3: You are an honorary Sarutobi clan member. Despite all that you've been through because of MY choices, you're still able to show me forgiveness, and I can never hope to make that up to you." Stepping back, Hiruzen was surprised by the speed with which Naruto caught him in a hug, along with the strength that Naruto gave it. "Thanks, jiji."

After the small, heartwarming scene was over, Naruto, a small smile on his face, turned to the Hyuuga present. Hiashi stepped forward. "I must say, on behalf of the entire Hyuuga clan, that we recognize you as one of our own. You've done more for us than most anyone, and you didn't ask for a thing, and for that, we, as a clan, feel indebted to you." At this, Naruto just waved him off. Hiashi shook his head. "We Hyuuga have our pride to maintain, and we don't feel it is right to not give you something. As such, we have decided to formally induct you into the Hyuuga clan, if you so wish, something we haven't done in around 100 years, as well as give you certain techniques to learn from as a show of faith. Do you accept?" Naruto accepted with a bow and his own show of gratitude.

After giving Naruto a special pendant in the shape of the Hyuuga clan symbol (A/N: Think a pendant with the yin-yang symbol hanging from it) that he couldn't lose due to certain seals it was imbued with as a sign of his affiliation with the Hyuuga and a few scrolls, Hiashi continued. "I believe Hinata-chan has her own gift to give you." Nudging his daughter, who suddenly seemed somewhat nervous, forward, he stepped back. All eyes turned to her, and she began to sink in on herself, still unused to this much attention outside of an event such as her birthday. Naruto, seeing this, decided to help her out. Pulling together a small concentration of nature chakra, he let its soothing effects work their magic on her.

Seeing her relax, he gave a small smile as encouragement. His methods bearing fruit, Hinata began. "K-kaa-chan and I g-got this for you, Naruto-kun." She pulled out a box and opened it to reveal another pendant, a locket actually, in it. Kosen laughed a bit when Hinata referred to her though. "I only picked the pictures out of the ones we took at her birthday, actually. Hinata picked the pendant's color, chose its design. She even paid for it with her allowance and everything." Hinata blushed a bit and looked down as Naruto turned to her, surprised.

Before Naruto could, unintentionally, embarrass her daughter further, Kosen saved her by explaining. "She gets a good bit of money for her allowance, but never had much spare time to go and spend it until recently. She accumulated a lot of it, so don't worry about it. Besides, we are currently the richest clan in Konoha. A single pendant won't be much of a problem. Now, why don't you open the pendant? I didn't let Hinata see the picture either, so it should be a surprise to both of you."

Nodding his head, he opened it and began to laugh as Hinata turned a shade of red darker than before. Inside the locket, on the left, was a picture of Hinata with blue icing on her nose and bit of her face after cutting and eating her some of her birthday cake. In it she was licking her finger while giving a mock glare at Naruto who was laughing at her in the picture just as he was now. On the right was a picture of Naruto with a finger in his mouth, a noticeable lack of icing on Hinata's nose, and a lightly blushing and somewhat pouty Hinata. Hiashi, Hizashi, and Hiruzen all began to chuckle when they saw the pictures as well. Even Neji cracked a smile.

Regaining control of himself, Naruto looked to everyone who bothered to see him off. As they also came back from their small bought of laughter, he bowed to them. "Arigato. You have done more for me than... well, just about everybody else." Getting up from the bow, he smirked at his audience. "I'll be sure to repay you some other time." The adults present just rolled their eyes.

Chuckling lightly, Naruto gave Hinata a goodbye hug and proceeded to blur down the road away from Konoha. As he was running, Konoha quickly disappearing behind him, he could only think, 'Free at last!' Kogo could only agree. **'True. I hope those goodbyes were enough to last you three years, 'cause you'll be busting your ass for a while.' **Still running at full speed, without youki or natural energy, he responded with a smirk. 'I wasn't already?'

* * *

2 Years Later

* * *

Three figures could be seen coming down the dirt road to Konoha. One was a dark skinned, rather tall, seemingly 13 year old boy with very dark black braids, wearing black boots with a stripe running down the center, a pair of black hakama pants (A/N: Divided/umanori), and a sleeveless haori, which covered all but the front of the hakama, connecting from his neck, due to it having a high collar, to about the waist by a zipper, though it went farther as it spread out, preventing one from seeing anything under it. His hands were covered up past the middle of his forearms by gloves that let his middle and ring fingers out, and his face had what one could mistake for a white headband until you saw that it covered his eyes. From under this, there were green tear-like markings coming down. Around his haori covered neck, there were a few green magtama markings with a black dot in the center, and at his side, he had a sword with a green handle wrapping and black diamonds, which was held in a black scabbard and had a ring on the side of the guard. (A/N: Think of a shorter Kaname Tousen from bleach, but with a few alterations.)

Next to him was a noticeably shorter and younger looking boy, with light skin, borderline pale. This one was in black shoes and pants and had a black suit vest with a black shirt under it, though this shirt had this extremely thin white stripes running down it. A silver pendant hanging from a similarly colored chain ran above that, easily managing to stand out in front of its background. On his hands, there were finger-less gloves with grey accents running up to its fingers and making a circle around the holes for said fingers. His hair broke the trend of black, as, despite being black, it had streaks of bloody red it. The hair fell loosely in front of his eyes which were an equally startling, deep red, though one could easily see said eyes through the hair as they seemed to glow. In his mouth he held a pocky stick. As he walked, he was humming a tune.(A/N: Mujihi/young Walter C. Dornez, but with the edits I added.)

The final of the three, walking in the middle of them, looked like the twin of the one previously described, except he had dyed his hair completely black, among other things. Or maybe the other dyed his hair with red streaks... Regardless, he had the same traits with a different color pallet. His hair was black, though it seemed to have a blue tint, his eyes were a deep blue, his vest was blue, and his shirt was white. His pendant was a locket on a black chain instead of a silver one, and his glove was mostly white with the stripes being black. His dress pants were a dark-ish grey, almost black, and, as the only thing that was the exact same as his twin's, his shoes were black. Even their skin differed a bit in color, his being a lightly tanned tone compared to the red/black haired boys rather pale complexion.(A/N: Again, Mujihi/ Young Walter, but with edits.)

As they continued on their path, the one in the middle looked to his twin, annoyance plain on his face. "Could you fucking stop that!?" His only response was a flipping of the bird. He growled at the black haired boy and, in an almost invisible flash of a very thin blue-tinted line, his hand was on the road they were walking on. The tall, darker skinned one sighed. "Be calm, you two. Fighting like this solves nothing in your quarrel." They both glared at each other before laughing, though it sounded rather odd when neither of their voices fit their visible age, both of them sounding a few years older. Not necessarily deeper, just... older. The hand on the road dispersed into a black energy with a red aura around it and said energy flowed to the hand/stump and formed the hand, glove and all.

The one in the middle said, "Seriously, though. It's starting to irritate me." The redhead just shrugged. He was about to give a response to that when the darker one with the braids just said, "Let it be. He will stop when we are able to see the monument, okay." He got nods from the two.

A minute or so later, the monument was visible to them all, though they were still rather far from the village gates, so the redhead flicked the cigarette before he and the one with braided hair dispersed into what seemed to be some sort of chakra/energy, the braided one into a green-tinted white energy with a green outline while the redhead dispersed into the same type his hand had earlier, black with a red outline. Both seemed to flow into the one in the middle, who grew a few inches and gained the sword on his side, which he quickly dispersed into the same green energy by the one still present. Both the pendant and the locket were visible around his neck, though a green magtama strung around his neck also became visible, and his hair grew longer and became blonde with black/red tips, falling in front of his eyes and partially obscuring them from view. His blue eyes seemed to glow rather brightly for a moment before calming down. Along his cheeks, a few, thin whisker like markings ran from front to back. His clothing also changed with him. His shirt became a light grey while his vest turned jet black, along with his pans and gloves.

He kept walking down the path, but at a point he just... disappeared. No flash of any sort, no blur, no... Anything, really. He was just gone, a ripple around the space he once occupied being the only indication of his presence, and that faded within less than a second of its appearance.

The blonde boy appeared in the Hokage's office, behind said Hokage. The aged military dictator was sitting in his chair, his pipe lit and a copy of IchaIcha in his hands. The ANBU in the room were barely able to notice his presence, and they were paying close attention while he was out in the open. The Hokage didn't, and as such, he just started reading the copy of IchaIcha over Hiruzen's shoulder. They got to a point where Hiruzen giggled perversely while he whistled in appreciation. The ANBU, who thought their leader had noticed the boys presence, nearly died laughing at the look on Hiruzen's face as he had a mini-heart-attack.

Once Hiruzen regained his ability to... live, he turned to him and asked, "Who are you?" He didn't bother putting his guard up as this person could've killed him already, had that been the goal. He only got a hurt look in return. "You don't recognize me, Jiji?" Hiruzen's eyes showed him putting together the pieces, but not before he heard, "Maybe you'll recognize me like this better." Focusing on the boy in front of him, he saw the hair on the boys head shorten considerably and the black and red seemed to recede into the scalp, and his hair color deepened considerably to his original gold. The three familiar, horizontal marks on each cheek seemed to thicken, cementing the identity of the boy in front of the aged Kage.

Rushing from his seat, he engulfed Naruto in a hug, though he was surprised when he felt an EQUALLY strong return (A/N: No, he's not a kage level shinobi yet.). Pulling back, the old man looked Naruto up and down. "You've grown so much, Naruto-kun." Naruto grinned in response. "And you've gained a few more grey hairs, jiji." After both of the laughed lightly at his attempt at a joke, Hiruzen dismissed all the ANBU in the room before sitting in his chair behind his desk.

Naruto walked around the desk and made a chakra construct chair for him to sit in, surprising Hiruzen greatly. Seeing his surprise, Naruto chuckled. "I've got a lot to tell you about, Jiji. But first, I have a question." Getting a nod for him to continue, he did so. "Was there a rule that didn't let people tell me of Kogo-chan or even talking about her...? Oh, the Kyuubi. Other places aren't too reserved when it comes to the info of who the resident "demon" is." He had to remind him of who Kogo was as he'd only mentioned her in passing once, and that was more than two years ago. Hiruzen thought about the course of action, then decided to tell the truth. Nodding, he responded. "Yes, there was, Naruto-kun. I wanted you to grow up without having to worry about stuff like that, but that fell through rather quickly." Nodding in agreement at his last statement, he requested, though it was more like commanded, "Remove it, please. I'm not ashamed of Kogo-chan." Here Kogo couldn't help but go **'Aw. Wasn't that sweet.'** Naruto then continued, "...and it'd save a lot of unneeded secrecy and explaining if it was just common knowledge." Kogo just deadpanned, **'No longer sweet.' **Naruto heard two other voices laugh in the background, causing him to smirk slightly, though he wiped it before Hiruzen could notice.

Hiruzen nodded in agreement, noting to bring it up in the next council meeting and, if possible, just announce it in the next public address in an event or something. The two then got to talking about his travels and such, almost forgetting to sign Naruto up for the academy. After spending an hour or two just talking about the past two years, Naruto bid farewell, going to visit Hinata, then Anko. Disappearing in the same manner he appeared in, he left a shell shocked Hokage as to the method of transport. _'I guess he just has the genius gene in him. Can't tell if he gets it from Minato or Kushina, though... Probably both, with that chakra of his and the technique.'_

Naruto, having gone back to his black/red/blonde haired form, appeared on the ceiling of one of the Hyuuga indoor training areas where Hinata was sparring with her father, making everything on him stay perfectly still with his chakra. Hinata was wearing some black clothes to train, black t-shirt, black pants, black sandals, even black mesh shirt underneath, while Hiashi was just wearing his normal clothes. The session would seem brutal to anyone who hasn't had any battle experience, as her father wasn't pulling any punches, hitting her in the smallest opening with brutal jyuuken strikes which had both power and chakra behind them. One particularly vicious blow hit her back onto the ground, where she lay for a while. Off to the side, Kosen and the two year old Hanabi sat, Kosen with a visible wince on her face.

As she tried to get up, Naruto fell down between Hiashi and Hinata. "Don't you think that was a bit much, Hiashi?" His grin stretched across his face as he saw Hiashi tense, prepare to attack him, then freeze in recognition of his eyes as he put the pieces together on his own. "What, no "hello" after two years? Maybe you don't recognize me." As he said this, Kosen and Hiashi both had wide eyes. His hair shortened a bit, as did he, and the black and red colors retracted into his scalp, his hair becoming more golden colored. He shrunk an inch or two this time, letting himself seem a bit more like he did when he left.

Letting them absorb the shock of his very sudden reappearance after two years, he turned to Hinata who gasped when she was able to confirm for herself that it was really him. Hinata, ignoring her aching body, threw herself at him in a hug. Due to his, still, superior height and overall size, he was able to catch her without falling over. "Yes, yes. I missed you too, Hinata-chan." Hinata just squeezed a bit harder when he said that.

Extracting himself from her grip, which he found was a bit of a struggle on its own, he asked, "Why does it always seem that whenever I come over, SOMETHING happens? Seriously, Hiashi, I understand that you're preparing her for the shinobi world, but she is only just about to enter the academy. You should work her up to that level; she has time to be strong enough to match a clan head who's trying a bit."

Hiashi just shook his head. "She's a target, as the clan heiress. You were there to stop the attempt from Kumo, but she needs to be able to save herself. Someone stronger than her may come along, so she needs to learn to survive against someone stronger, at least for a while." Naruto sighed at that; he had a fair point. "Well, you still don't need to beat the shi- tar out of her, Hiashi." Naruto caught himself, remembering Kosen's rules about language. Hiashi shrugged. "It gets better results out of her when I'm harder on her."

Naruto shook his head and went back to his mix hair color form, which he'd become rather comfortable in. "How about I try? It'll be good for her to fight someone who doesn't use your jyuuken." Hiashi agreed and moved over to sit next to his wife. The moment he sat down, she gave him utter hell for being so hard on their daughter.

Naruto, while Kosen chewed her husband out, healed the bruises that Hinata had scattered along her body, asking, "Are you okay, Hina-chan?" Since he didn't want to invade her privacy more than he does with his passive ability, he just covered her in his chakra and let it do his job as he activated his variant of the shosen no jutsu and, not needing much due to the severity only going as far as bruises and temporary chakra pathway blockage, he just made a show of concentrating.

While this was going on, he made a Mujihi clone outside of the building to take the place of the one who was currently Mujihi. It took a second, but the memories came flooding to him, and he resisted the urge to scowl. Shaking his head, he proceeded to take a fighting stance in front of Hinata. It looked similar to the jyuuken's starting position, one hand outstretch while the other remains close to the waist, but his outstretched left hand was in a fist and bent at a 90 degree angle, facing right while his right hand's fingers were more relaxed.

As Hinata rushed him, he went about batting aside each strike with the one outstretched hand, not even needing to move from his starting position. After a few moments of this, Naruto took an opportunity during her attack to send a palm into her chest at a lightning fast speed, sending her stumbling back. Naruto could feel the conflicting emotions in her, and as such sought to help her get her priorities straight. "C'mon, Hina-chan. I can't help you get better if you don't try your hardest to hit me. I'd rather iron out your mistakes here than have you notice them when someone actually attacks you. Your gentle nature is great and all, but you're doing more harm than good by holding back so much."

After getting an encouraging nod from her mother and seeing her father staring intensely at her, she settled back into her stance. _'I-I can't keep letting my tou-san down like this...'_ Pushing herself farther than she had in her training with her father, she launched herself at Naruto. She went for a palm strike to Naruto's right shoulder, seeking to cripple what seemed to be his main defending hand. Naruto just straightened his body, letting it fly harmlessly by, although he was impressed by what Hinata could do when she really tried. _'I bet she might be able to beat a genin at this point.'_

After taking a moment to let her go further past him, but not letting her catch herself, he grabbed her wrist with his left hand and slid under it, placing his other hand behind her shoulder. As he pushed her shoulder while keeping her hand in place, he tripped her by pushing her feet in the opposite direction and sent her to the ground. Pulling her wrist back while holding her body to the floor via her shoulder, he held her down. He then twisted her arm behind her back, leaned down, and whispered in her ear, "Much better, Hinata-chan... But you gotta try harder."

As he stepped back to let her get up, a voice in his head said, 'What happened to staying away from her? You almost got too close for her parents' comfort.' At the laughter of the three voices in his head, he glanced over at Hiashi who was now giving him a stare with an equal mixture of approval and "I swear to god, if you ever get that close to my daughter again..." Next to him, Kosen's face spoke for itself, telling him "Wait a few years, Naruto."

He just rolled his eyes and gave everyone the equivalent of "There's nothing to worry about. Nothing's gonna happen.", though the parents got there response in the form of a deadpan look. Hinata finally got up at this point and, seeing that he wasn't even looking at her, lunged at him with fierceness that seemed out of place to everyone there. Still, Naruto guided the palm to his left, letting her fly behind him. As she got behind him, he spun with a kick to her back that sent her into the ground. Hard. Shaking his head, he began to instruct Hinata. "Don't assume your opponent doesn't know about you, only hope. This should be a given for you, as your whole clan has a dojutsu with about 360 degree vision, telescope vision, and x-ray vision. Now, come at me again, and this time, don't put too much into any one strike, even of you think it'll hit."

She had gotten back up during this mini-speech and, after nodding, rushed him once more. This time, Naruto put his hands behind his back and smirked at her as she came at him. He danced around her strikes, smiling like it was all a game, which it kind of was for him. This just served to agitate her more, her strikes coming faster and stronger, pulling more chakra from her. Following her instructions from her mother, she kept making her chakra get sharper and sharper as she tried to hit him in their little dance that, after a near miss, his sleeve was cut cleanly.

Naruto smiled at her, though he tried to make it look at least a bit condescending, and said, "Much better, Hinata-chan. Show me more; I'm sure you're not this weak." Hinata's eyes burned with a renewed fire at being called weak. Unfortunately, her limbs were beginning to seriously burn from the constant strain and her breathing was becoming labored, but she still pushed herself to go faster, turn sharper, predict his moves better, to HIT HIM. _'I can do it. I have to land at least one blow.' _She was unaware that what she was trying to do was something ANBU were unable to, so her only chance was if her let her hit him.

Blissfully unaware, she tried harder and harder, eventually reaching low-chunin speeds, surprising her father and mother greatly. Even Neji, who'd walked in during the match, was surprised that Hinata could manage this. Sadly, she was at her limit, and everyone watching could see it. Her arms and legs shook every once in a while from fatigue, her face was sweaty, her breathing was extremely labored, her strikes were getting sloppy. Still she pushed on, trying harder and harder to invent new ways to combine the limited amount of jyuuken forms she'd been taught. A few other members of the clan passed by in the 5 minutes that passed as she tried her heart out. By the time she was REALLY starting to slow down, they'd amassed a small audience, all of them cheering for Hinata; none of them had ever seen her try as hard as she was now.

By this point, Naruto's smile had become genuine, hearing the encouragement Hinata was receiving from her family and seeing the effort she put in. In his head, a male voice said, 'Things have changed here so much.' He gave a mental nod, 'That they have. Hinata here is a prime example.'

Hinata was running on fumes at this point, and her byakugan, which she'd had active the whole time, turned off on its own. Deciding he'd seen enough, as she was too tired to even keep her dojutsu on anymore. Naruto caught one of her hands when she went strike his face instead of dodging like he usually would. As she brought her other hand to strike his face, he caught it as well. Their audience grew completely silent at that point. Letting the small but genuine smile he had on his face grow larger, involuntarily mind you, he nodded to her and said, "You did great, Hina-chan.(A/N: First time he actually calls her this.)" With that as the signal for the end of their bought, the 10-15 people watching cheered for Hinata. She looked shocked to hear people cheering for here, having focused in on nothing but Naruto during their fight, making her miss them, even with her byakugan on. She then blushed, not thinking about who was watching for such a long time.

Chuckling lightly at both her shock and embarrassment, he said, "How about we bow to our audience, Hina-chan." She gave a small smile, rather embarrassed at having so many people watch her spar, and tried to bow with Naruto. Unfortunately for her, her legs finally gave out at that point, causing her to fall back as she bowed. Naruto caught her in a bridal style before lowering her to the ground, preventing her from falling as Hiashi rushed over to check on his daughter, Kosen and the other Hyuuga right behind her. He just told them, "I got it." as he activated his shosen no jutsu with a bit of youki, speeding up her bodies removal of lactic acid so it would only take a few seconds to let her weakness in her legs to go away.

Kosen gave Hanabi to her husband and went to get Hinata some water, as her breathing was still rather labored despite her attempts to say she was fine. All around her, though, she got words of praise from the members of her clan, both branch and main-house members, though the members of the main house were more reserved. Even Neji, the most reserved branch member alive at that point, ranking up there with some of the elders despite being 9, had to compliment her on her skills, though he had an odd way of doing so. "Perhaps your fate is not what I predicted." He quickly corrected himself after a brief look from Naruto. "I mean, uh... Good job, Hinata-sama." Hinata smiled at him as she responded. "Thank you, Neji-nii-san."

As he felt she could support herself on her own two legs now, Naruto got up and offered her a hand. She took it, and he pulled her up, saving her the effort as her arms were still feeling a little heavy. The Hyuuga around him started to ask what he was expecting but was hoping against. One outright asked him, "Excuse me, but who are you?" Rolling his eyes, he showed himself as he was before he left, though he just receded his hair before returning it to how it was. "I know I've changed, but why does NO ONE recognize me..." The slight pouting that he did seemed out of place on his face, but no one did more than snicker at the sight.

Sighing, he decided to stay and talk with Hinata and her family as the small crowd dispersed. A full two hours were spent just talking, and he didn't even go into detail on much of anything. Looking out of a window to see the sun, he noticed that it was getting late in the afternoon. Saying his goodbyes, with the excuse that he had to check on his house before nightfall so he had a chance to get anything essential before sleeping, he disappeared in the same fashion that he appeared in, leaving a confused Kosen and Hiashi and an equally amazed Hinata. (A/N: She IS still an eight year old, accelerated maturing for shinobi and clan head life aside.)

Appearing on a roof in the middle of town, he looked down to see Ichiraku Ramen on the street, jumping down, he found Anko in there, to his utter surprise. Smirking, he asked, "Finally realized that Ichiraku Ramen is better than your silly dango." Expecting the violent response he got, he shifted his head out of the way as a kunai flew by. Grabbing the kunai with chakra after it went by his head, he brought it to his hand and sat down. "Nice to see you again as well, Hebi-chan. How's it going, Ichiraku-jiji, Ayame-nee-chan?" He barely got to put the kunai out of his hand before Anko jumped him.

Anko gave a little squeal and hugged the life out of him while Ayame and Teuchi looked rather confused. Their confusion ended, though it was quickly replaced by surprise, when they heard her say, "I've been so bored without you, Naru-chan!" Once the shock wore off, Teuchi smiled while Ayame jumped the counter to hug him as well. Sadly for Naruto, the moment he extracted himself from the deathtrap known as Anko's breasts, enabling him to breath once more, Ayame's replaced them, though hers were a lot less... intentional.

Teuchi laughed at his dilemma. Anko just teased him, enjoying the feeling of being able to do so again. "Just got back, and you're already going after a girl. Calm down, Naruto." In his head, all three voices present were laughing at him right now, agreeing with Anko completely. Ayame just blushed lightly while letting him go. "Sorry, Naruto-kun." He was unable to answer as he was enjoying the feeling of being able to breathe again. _'Oh, I never knew how much I loved air.'_

When he caught his breath, which only took a few seconds, he reoriented himself in his seat and began the process of catching up with everyone there, sharing some stories about his travels and learning of what had been happening while he was gone. One major thing he learned about was the small group of people who didn't think of him as the Kyuubi anymore, something that surprised him deeply, and he resolved to look deeper into it.

Going home with Anko, he hit her over the head as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop. "I told you already, NO PARTIES! Even though Mujihi wasn't a shadow clone, as you discovered after a successful hit, he still transferred his experiences to me, so I know about EVERYTHING." Anko just stuck her tongue out at him and sped up, running away from him. Naruto just shook his head. In his head, Kogo said, **'At least this is a good chance to go do what you need to before the academy starts.' **He nodded and, after creating a clone to pose as him for the night, located the faint signature of Kurama, Kogo's other half.

When he found it, he focused in on it before disappearing in the same fashion he'd been doing all day. Appearing in the middle of a room with four rows of two coffins, though only three rows, and thus six coffins, were filled. It was extremely dark inside as Naruto made his way to what seemed to be the last row, though Naruto needed no actual light to navigate anywhere. Stopping in front of the coffins laid out side by side, he sent a message to his extra guests. 'Are you two sure you want to do this? Once you come back, you'll have to deal with... LIFE again.' All he got were two resolute 'Hai's. Nodding his head, he created a clone of himself which went into his dark-skinned form. Though he was sure the clone knew exactly what to do, he gave some final instructions. "Remember, Nagare: if you encounter Shinigami-sama for any reason, even if you aren't technically entering his realm this time, remind him that it's you. He won't harm you, though he may try to make your life rather difficult."

Nagare nodded before touching the center woman's chest. As he did this, he focused on the shard of Kushina's soul (A/N: Gasp!) within the seal on his body. Pushing it into her body, he made sure the process was slow enough that he had time to draw the rest of her soul from the pure world using the connection. Using as much natural energy as possible to guarantee the process, he pulled on the link, trying to drag the soul out instead of letting it drag her in, as it was trying to do. This was rather difficult, as Kushina had an enormous amount of chakra when she was alive and her soul was rather strong. Thankfully, she wasn't working against him, so he was able to do this after a little while.

Naruto, meanwhile, delved into Minato's (A/N: SUPER GASP!) copy of the Shiki Fujin, seeking to use its connection to the afterlife to make the process easier.

* * *

Minato's Mindscape

* * *

Appearing in a nice, rather cozy room, he found Minato on a bed, looking as though he was just sleeping, though Naruto knew he hadn't moved in years by outside time, and Kami knows how long by mindscape time. Walking up to him, he pushed the piece of Minato inside of him into the Minato sleeping on the bed, or at least he was going to. He was stopped by a booming voice that made the room he was standing in shake slightly. **"Well, well. After 8 years, someone finally enters this god forsaken place. Would it be too much to ask you to let me out?" **Sighing, he responded, "Yes, it would be too much to ask, Kurama." As he said this, he pushed the shard into Minato and let the seal's connection to death awaken him before walking over to the door in the room Minato was in.

Opening it, there was in infinite blackness that surrounded him. **"How do you know my name, ningen?" **Smirking as he walked into the blackness, he made his way to a door that he knew only he could really see due to Kogo's presence, though Minato would also know where it was, as this was his mind, and responded. "I hold Kogo. We've actually become rather close." Opening the door, he saw nothing but more darkness inside, but he knew Kurama was in there. Walking in, he was suddenly greeted with a pair of glowing red eyes in the darkness. Before anything else could be said by Naruto, a claw looking as sharp as, if not sharper than Kogo's flew at him. He didn't flinch.

Light slowly filtered into the room, showing Kurama chained to a wall with a shackle going to each of his limbs and even one to his neck. Every one of his tails had a ball and chain attached to them, yet he still managed to swing them lazily behind him. His claw was outstretched and millimeters from Naruto's face. **"Oh? You're either crazy or brave... maybe both." **Naruto smirked and, casually tapping each of the fingers on his right hand to the tip of the claw in front of him after stepping back, said, "Kogo did the same thing when I first met her. I kind of expected worse from the half the embodied uncontrolled hatred."

As he finished saying this, he brought the hand to his abdomen, dispersing his shirt and vest into chakra momentarily, and slammed his hand onto his seal, twisting his hand in the direction of its spiral. From the deep black hole that formed on it, red chakra seeped from inside, letting Kogo out. While he couldn't quiet manage this in the real world yet, he was working on it. When she finally appeared, as the process took a few seconds, she looked up at Kurama. **"It's rude to try and intimidate someone who's just trying to have a nice conversation with you, Kurama." **You could feel the roll of his eyes as his deep red fur began to glow... black. His frame shrunk, becoming distinctly humanoid.

After this was over, a man with black hair, tan skin, rather wild whisker marks, and no shirt. His hair was shaggy, but resembled Minato's greatly. His ruby red eyes still held the same intensity, but they were much more concentrated, giving him an ominous look. On his arms were detached sleeves, though there wasn't a shirt from which they were detached from, and grayish silver bands around each of his biceps. On the sleeves were red buckles that ran all the way down to his palm. His black pants were rather baggy, leaving just about everything to the imagination, and the sandals he wore had the same buckles as his sleeve running up them as they disappeared under the pants. Running down the sides of said pants were some ornate bloody red markings, looking like some sort of fox crest running down it. From his back, one could see nine ethereal, smoky tails flowing, lazily swinging back and forth, though the ball and chains were still attached to them. (A/N: For once, I made a character up from scratch! Unfortunately, looking back, he seems kind of like Menma. T-T Not changing him though.)

Once Naruto had a second or two to take in his appearance, he turned to Kogo and said, "Well, would you look at that. Apparently, you're the weird one out of the two of you. He wears clothes, at least more than you do." Kogo just dismissed his findings. **"I don't like clothes, so I don't wear them. Unless I'm actually outside, with a body, I won't bother putting on clothes."** Kurama just chuckled at their banter, though the sound was rather scary with the demonic voice he possessed, outclassing Kogo's voice in terms of raw intimidation. **"Who would've thought you'd go and get yourself a mate so quickly? A human, no less."**

He wasn't expecting Kogo to tense up and Naruto to look at him with a not too pleased expression. Naruto, letting it slide due to Kurama's ignorance, sighed before explaining. "I don't really, ah, IDENTIFY with humanity anymore. And, considering I have my own pool of youki, I'm not really limited to being called human. Hell, my chakra has become human youki at this point. Regardless, I'll have to ask you to not call me that. It brings up… bad memories."

Kurama cocked his head at the request, but shrugged, not really caring, at least not outwardly. He was limited to his thoughts, as he didn't want to offend his only chance to get out at the moment. _**'These humans are always so proud of being human… but this one is different. He knows of how shitty people are in this world, though he doesn't seem to be FILLED with as much hate as one would think or as much as I'd like. I'll have to keep an eye on this one.'**_

Kogo looked at him amused, aware of how interested he was in Naruto, but reframed from mentioning it. Instead, she just asked, **"Do you want to join me in Naruto's seal? Shinigami kinda split us for good, but his body's able to take far more youki than Minato's, so we can get up to our previous power in no time." **Kurama didn't even have to think about it. **"Damn right I do! I fucking HATE Minato, but, lucky me, I'm STUCK INSIDE HIM! I wouldn't have cared if you killed me and took my power, but I'm glad you're not."**(A/N: Kurama is already aware of the seal's effect of draining his chakra slowly into his host, as that was keeping Minato's body alive for 8 years, and he wants to get stronger using its effect.)

Kogo chuckled at his enthusiasm to get out, even if it was into a new seal. **"Well, just wait until Minato is back. We'll get him to let you come with us." **As she was saying this, the revived Minato, or at least a mental projection of him, walked into the seal room. He looked around, confused as to where the ten story demon fox he sealed in himself was and who the two people with his son were.

Kogo's anger at the forced split, rekindled when she actually SAW her other half, allowed her to react first, speeding over to him and punching him in the stomach. **"THAT is for splitting me in half, you fucker!" **He then remembered that the one who just pushed his stomach through his intestines was Kogo, as he was finally getting around to assimilating the recent memories of the piece of him that was just returned. With that realization, he looked at the man in shackles, after he managed to recover from the punch from a bijuu with their power concentrated into a human form, and asked, "Kyuubi…s?" Their nod made him look to Naruto for an explanation.

Rolling his eyes, he began, "I can let her out in any mindscape I manage to enter, either allowing her to communicate with someone or just reek general havoc in their minds. And, as you know of her "human form", then you would imagine the half you sealed in yourself also has one." Minato nodded, understanding what he was told. Before he got to ask the question of "What now?", he was cut off by Naruto asking him to transfer Kurama to him.

He responded as any parent would to their child ASKING to have the rest of giant demon who killed his parents and almost destroyed his home into him would. "Are you crazy!?" Before he could begin ranting, Naruto cut him off. "Make no mistake, Minato. You are not my parent. You don't control me, you cannot make my decisions for me, and I won't let you keep a person captive inside you when they are unhappy with it and you have the power to release them. Either you transfer him to me, or I rip him out of you, right here, right now. Choose, Minato, and choose wisely."

Minato knew that, in his weakened state, he wouldn't be able to take on Kogo and Naruto at the same time, and if he booted them out of his mind, Naruto would just undo the seal on his physical body as soon as he could, letting Kurama free and either letting him roam or seal him inside himself anyway. Nodding, albeit rather reluctantly, he made his way toward Kurama, who smiled maliciously as he approached. **"Oh, the sweet irony. After splitting us up and being forced to seal one of us in you and the other in your son, you now, forced by your own son, release me and ALLOW me to enter your son. I'm gonna enjoy this. Hahahahahaa!" **After Minato sent him a dirty look, he proceeded to unlock the shackles that bound him, and his tails, to Minato's body.

Kurama stretched at the nice, previously unattainable feeling of freedom. Then, walking over to Naruto, he flipped Minato the bird. Naruto rolled his eyes, but looked at his "father" and began to inform him of his plans. "You'd die if we just took Kurama and left, so we'll leave you an, ah, artificial Kyuubi for your body to run off of. And yes, I mean ALL of us, Kurama." Kurama grumbled, showing that he wasn't too happy about not letting Minato's body go into shock and die, but didn't put up any arguments. Each of them pushed a large amount of youki into the seals that Minato released, creating an artificial Kyuubi, though it had a good bit more power than the original, full Kyuubi.

With that done, the two bijuu looked a bit tired as Minato resealed the new Kyuubi in himself, Kurama more so than Kogo, and closed their eyes and concentrated. Minato, who hadn't really been able to see Kogo do a real refill before, was surprised to see them become good as new in moments, taking as little as 30 seconds for Kurama to be rejuvenated, and about 34 for Kogo. After they finished, they proceeded to dissolve into red youki which then went into the seal on Naruto's stomach. The seal went in reverse, once more becoming the artistic spiral Minato drew on the night of Naruto's birth. Once it was done, Naruto, right as he was fading out of Minato's mind, told Minato, "You're welcome to train with me to bring your body back into shape, as it's been out of use for years. You should probably wait for your wife to wake up before you decide though." As he finished saying this, his whole body fully faded, leaving Minato with the fake Kyuubi behind him. As Minato faded out of the mindscape as well, he missed the newly created Kyuubi's eye staring at him ominously, its red eye glowing on its black sclera. Had he seen it, the grin that followed would've sent shivers down his spine for years to come.

* * *

Real World

* * *

Opening his eyes, Naruto lit a torch on the wall with a glance using some fire natured chakra, as he knew the other two would need to see. The soft light it cast in the room was perfect for eyes that hadn't been used in a while and had to get used to light all over again. As both Kushina and Minato both came to, Naruto went about drawing a bit of Kogo's youki out of his seal to channel into Kushina, as she's already used to it, even if she never actually used it. The youki made her body recover faster than it would have normally, speeding up the process of her first movement in years. Minato wasn't as bad off, as the Kyuubi in him was able to keep his body working, though he also lost a lot of muscle strength and control.

When they finally managed to open their eyes and sit up in their coffins, Naruto said, "Welcome back to the world of the living." Both of them, knowing their bodies pretty well, managed to get themselves reacquainted with everything rather quickly, noticing the weakness of their muscles. Kushina was the first to voice it, letting Minato focus more on testing his other motor functions. "The hell is wrong with my body?" Naruto explained the problem to her. "Your bodies haven't moved in eight years, so all the strength and fine-tuned control you built up will have to be redone, though it will be easier this time around. I'd give you a month before you're back to your old selves, a week or so if you train with me. By the way, would you like to train with me?" Both parents obviously said yes, wanting to spend time with the son they so much of the life of. Neither of them were aware that he just wanted to see how they moved at full capacity if he ever had to fight them, not putting it past them to kill their own "son" eventually. At this point, they found that they could get up and walk, though it wasn't too smooth.

Naruto asked them if they wanted to go to Hiruzen now or later, and, as per Minato's sense of honor, they ended up choosing now. Shrugging, Naruto grabbed a hold of both of them before disappearing from where they were in the same fashion the appeared in, leaving a ripple in the air where they once stood.

Appearing in the Hokage's office, and Hiruzen was, thankfully, alone, they proceeded to scare the shit out of him. He'd dismissed his ANBU guard earlier in the day and chose to go without them for the day, which he was now thanking every god in existence for at that moment, because if word that Minato was back spread throughout the village, there would be an uproar among the people, some demanding how while others demanding their loved ones be brought back too. He needed a cover story before anything happened.

Hiruzen, after he regained his breath and put away his porn/art, asked, "What in the actual fuck, Naruto!?" It was directed at Naruto since he thought this might've been a prank, despite having a sinking feeling otherwise. Naruto just rolled his eyes. "I'm sure I don't need to introduce you to these two. If I do, then you're older than I thought, jiji." Kushina laughed at that point. "You call him jiji, too? Ha!" Hiruzen, hearing the voice he hadn't heard for over eight years, started to tear up.

Getting up and slowly walking over to the two, he slowly reached out to touch them, fearing that they were just ghosts or something. When he actually managed to touch them, he brought both of them in for a hug. The two hugged back as best they could, reaffirming for Hiruzen that they were real. Naruto was off to the side, waiting for the three to finish their reunion, when he heard Kurama say, **'So... what do you do for fun up here?' **Naruto, smirking slightly, responded. 'Well, I train while Kogo molests me, I train with Kogo AS she molests me, or Kogo tries to satisfy her urges WITHOUT molesting me while I train, aka she takes a day of masturbation. That's about it, though she could do just about anything up there. I stopped questioning her choices a long time ago.'

He could feel Kogo's glare at him through their mental link, but her anger and embarrassment were overshadowed by Kurama's amusement. When he calmed down, which took a few seconds, he said, still a bit giggly, **'****When you didn't deny that he was your mate, I assu-'** He only got that far as Naruto felt the impact of what he assumed was Kogo slamming a tail into his face at full force. Kogo's voice calm out much calmer than expected when she said, **'****He's not my mate. You could already feel that he's not THAT strong yet, Kurama.'** Smirking slightly, he decided to add fuel to the fire. 'Gimme 5 years, six at most, and then we'll see what you have to say.' Tuning out the oncoming argument, Naruto turned back to the S-class ninja who he felt had just finished.

Walking up to them, which drew all their attention to him, he asked, "What now? Your bodies need about a week of intense training to get back up to snuff, but the academy starts tomorrow, and the Hokage is expected to give an opening speech." Minato thought for a moment before asking Hiruzen. "Do you just want to keep being Hokage for the time being and just give the speech yourself?" Hiruzen shook his head. "I've had this job for too long. It was your turn until the whole Kyuubi thing happened, so feel free to take your position back. Besides, we could easily delay the academy opening for a week, though we'll have to up the intensity for the classes ever so slightly to make up for it. I'll do it under pretense of an emergency, then announce your return at the end of the week."

Minato nodded and looked at his son. After a second, he asked, "Would you like to come live with us, Naruto? I know we were-" Naruto cut him off there. "No. I hold you no grudge, but, in my eyes, I don't have or need parents. It may not have been your fault, but you weren't my parents when I needed you, so you won't get the chance now that I don't. So, when you make the announcement of your return, keep the fact that I'm your "son" to yourselves. We can become friends, but I don't trust easily so you'll have to earn that much. As the one who brought you back -don't ask jiji- I feel responsible for your well-being and nothing more. You have a week to get on my good side. Regardless, I have a nice building to myself, and I don't want people to flood it to try and be near the dear son of the Yondaime. Publicity in Konoha isn't my thing. I'll pick you up tomorrow to bring you to my private training area, so get a good night's rest; your muscles will hate you for a while, but you'll thank me for it."

After he finished, he disappeared from the office, leaving Minato and Kushina heartbroken but understanding. As he appeared in his room, he un-muted the voices in his head, only to hear both of them laughing at the look on Minato's face. Shaking his head as he dispersed the clone meditating in his bed, he absorbed its chakra and took its place. 'You two are cruel.' His only response was **'We're demons'** before they went back to enjoying the look on Minato's face. He figured they took a picture.

* * *

Next Week

* * *

As the academy was opening, parents, government officials, such as members of both the civilian and shinobi council, shinobi hopefuls, and even normal civilians looked on at the third Hokage who was standing on a platform. "Citizens of Konoha, it is my honor to see off the training of our village's newest generation of protectors." He had to stop to let the applause die down. "But this time, it isn't my job to do so. With a heavy heart, and tired, old bones, I would like to step down from my position once more and welcome BACK... Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage." Absolutely stunned silence overtook everyone, even Danzo, as Hiruzen stepped back and a yellow flash appeared in front of the podium. In his full Hokage uniform, cloak and all, Minato stood before the procession, Kushina right behind him in her ANBU uniform. Kakashi also stood there, also in his ANBU uniform. Both of them had their respective masks, Kushina with Kitsune and Kakashi with Inu.

Everyone knew the two people behind those masks, Kakashi being well-known and Kushina thought to be DEAD. As such, Kushina removed her mask to show everyone she was who they suspected. The silence that overtook the crowd was broken by a single person asking, "N-Namikaze-sama?" With the smile none of them ever forgot, except the young ones, and a nod, the crowd proceeded to explode into cheers. "Yondaime-sama is back!" and the like were heard all over Konoha. Two of the larger cheers were "He'll rid us of the demon once and for all!" and "He'll show you all you were wrong about the boy!"

As the cheers died down when they saw Minato ask for silence with the raise of a hand, he began again, picking up where Hiruzen left off. "I'm sure you're wondering how my wife and I returned." At that, many people seemed confused, that is until Minato gestured to Kushina and got a few "oh"s and a few cat calls. He then continued. "Well, we were never truly gone, just unable to return on our own. The key to bringing us back was sealed within Naruto Uzumaki, the container we had chosen, the whole time. He, during his two years away, figured out what to do in order to revive us, and, despite how little he probably thinks of us all, chose to bring us back to you. He is responsible for our return, so do not think of us as invincible nor immortal as we nearly disappeared from this world on that day." Everyone was back to shocked silence.

All stares turned to Naruto who was isolated from everyone under a tree. During the week, word had spread of his return and people were either apologizing to him or persecuting him whenever he was recognized. As such, he traveled as Mujihi a lot, leaving a clone to push Kushina and Minato's bodies back up to their peak. Regardless, the people were unsure of how to respond to the impassive boy. He opened his eyes and proceeded to wave them off. "Don't bother thanking me. I was actually becoming quite comfortable being the resident demon; no need to start changing that now." People murmured as they turned back to Minato about his choice, either believing this proved he was a demon or it proved they fucked up.

Minato looked at his "son" worriedly, not expecting that response from him. Whenever he'd tried to learn about his son's life so far, his questions were avoided, so his words now only made him think it was worse than he thought. Kushina shared a look with him before they both looked back to the crowd and allowed Minato to finish starting off the year at the Academy.

After the official start of the Academy, Naruto had eyes follow him where ever he went. When they introduced themselves in front of the class, Naruto went second to last, before Ino Yamanaka, and everyone, even the rude children who spoke incessantly during introductions, shut up. During the time inside the class room, he felt people's eyes dart towards him then away. Even when they went outside at the end of the first day to view the final year students do some exhibition matches, people's eyes always lingered on him until he met their gaze, in which case they'd quickly look at something else. This went for everyone but Minato, Kushina, Hiruzen, Mikoto, Hinata, Hiashi, and Kosen, them being the only ones who knew him well enough to keep his currently intense gaze. Oddly, he couldn't find Surashi.

His gaze was only as intense as it was because of the constant stares and glances. His eyes glowed a deep blue from the moment he'd begun getting the stares, becoming darker until the matches, where his eyes were almost glowing black. He went out of his way to glance at every single person who looked at him, making them look away if they couldn't keep his gaze. By the time the day was over, there was a palpable aura of annoyance around Naruto. Thankfully, this finally caused people to get the message, but the annoyance didn't go away. When the day finally ended, he just disappeared from his seat in the back corner of the class room, not even bothering to hide the fact that he could do that.

* * *

Slightly bloody scene upcoming... Okay, it's rather bloody.

* * *

Appearing in his training ground below his building, he made a proverbial army of clones to come at him with intent to kill. What looked like strings manifested themselves around him, though they were just ninja wire he created out of his chakra. He sent them at the clones, who dodged as best they could. He homed in on the group closest to him and entangled them with the strings. Keeping an eye on all the others, he proceeded to rip this group limb from limb. First went the arms, leaving pieces of bone and ripped muscles visible. Then the legs, where he ripped them from their sockets and left them lying on the floor. The muscles that were torn in the middle just hung there, blood flowing freely from the wounds. He then proceeded to dispel each of the other groups and focus all the negative feelings he'd built up in the week he spent with his parent combined with his shitty day today on the group in front of him.

Pulling the upper body from their lower body, he watched with an odd sense of satisfaction as organs spilled out. All the while, their screams seemed to melt his stress away. The visible spine left at the bottom of their separated upper bodies was suddenly yanked away as he brought the strings surrounding their heads up and let what was left of their bodies drop. They were most definitely dead at this point, but he still proceeded to shred their heads to ribbons. His eyes, unknown to everyone there, were pure black at that moment, a red dot in the center reminiscent of a pupil.

* * *

It wasn't much, but for those who don't like blood, well, it's safe to read again.

* * *

All throughout this, Kogo and Kurama looked on. Kurama whistled in appreciation of the gore in front of him. **'Damn, boy. I think I'm starting to like you. You're already better than Minato, in my opinion, though that isn't saying much. Hahaha' **He was followed up by Kogo who reprimanded him. **'This is your fault anyway. He still isn't used to this much youki flowing into him, and yours is especially hate filled. At least apologize.' **Kurama snorted, but before he could respond, Naruto cut in, feeling and looking as though he was back to normal. 'No, no; there's no need for him to apologize, though I doubt he would anyway. I actually rather enjoyed that. Rather calming. I'll gain control eventually, but, until then, this is a good stress reliever. Besides, I doubt I'll go to school too often anymore. A clone is good enough for that shit; there isn't a damn thing they could teach me there, not when I know Konoha law better than some of the council members and its history better than most jonin.'

As he was talking, he had been making his way to his floor, the top floor of his building, where he saw Anko waiting for him on his own couch. "So," she began, "how was the first day of school." Naruto snorted and responded with one word. "Shitty." Anko cackled before asking for details. Feeling nice, he made some ice tea as he answered her. "People will not stop staring no matter how many fucking times you catch them. It's annoying as all hell. I almost killed someone today, though I doubt I would've stopped at one. These people don't know how to be fucking polite, do they?" The completely calm way in which he said this was unnerving, but Anko missed the feeling.

Looking down at the tea bags in his hand, he chose to put them away and make the tea using loose leaves, which he then proceeded to get. "Although, I found that tearing through a group of clones can be rather therapeutic. Seriously though, you'd think they'd pay more attention to their future, but apparently I'm just SO fucking interesting." Anko laughed at his displeasure; she knew he didn't like being in the spotlight, but that's what made it all the better. "That's what you get when you revive a legend while housing a demon." Kogo butt in at that. '**She has a point, Naru-chan.'** He could feel Kurama's nod of agreement.

Rolling his eyes, though Anko thought it was just from what she said, he proceeded to finish making a pint of tea. Offering some to Anko, he laid on a chair near the couch and put his feet up. "Why can't a guy just bring back the Yondaime and not become known for it?" Seeing the look on her face, he cut her off before she could talk. "Don't answer that." Taking a sip of his tea, he continued. "You have no clue what I'd give to be able to go back and just tell him "DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ME". That is gonna follow me for a while..."

Anko just shrugged. "Your fault. Anyway, how did you manage to get yourself in the bingo book?" Naruto cursed, his hopes of no one seeing that dashed in an instant. "What? You thought I WOULDN'T see the youngest A-Rank shinobi since Itachi? Ha! Now, gimme the details! Your entry paints a pretty interesting story." Naruto just sighed. "What does it say? I don't like to give more than I have to, so tell me what you know." Anko just threw him a copy with a marker sticking out of the side at his page. He opened it and read, his mouth slowly opening wider at just how much info was collected on him.

Name: Naruto Uzumaki

Known Aliases:

-Fujimi no Gisei (Unkillable Sacrifice) – despite being outclassed and outnumbered by Mizukage and part of an army of chunin+ shinobi, he was unable to be killed. Was fighting to let allies escape alive.

-Akuma no Shugo (Guardian of Demons) – covered the retreat of bloodline faction in Kirigakure's civil war, including the Kirigakure no Kijin (Demon of the Mist) and the Oni Kyodai (Demon Brothers), earning him this title from shinobi under the Mizukage, Yagura.

Age: Unknown; appears to be anywhere from 8-14, though this has seemingly fluctuated

Affiliation: Unknown; sighted in all countries fighting shinobi from different villages; suspected Ronin/Mercenary

Skills:

-Ninjutsu: S-rank

-Taijutsu: mid A-rank

-Nintaijutsu: high A-rank; unknown limits

-Genjutsu: Unknown; such little use gives cause to suspect weak point

-Kenjutsu: mid A-rank

-Fuinjutsu: Seal Master (possibly youngest recorded)

-Notes: Able to use all five elements proficiently on a large scale and has shown use of kekkei tota and kekkei genkai limited elements such at Koton (steel release) and Chiton (blood release). Uses the Kugutsu no Jutsu with great proficiency, rivaling that of puppet masters, but is able to make these chakra strings tangible and use them as their own weapon. Shown to be able to slice through a human body with them and create more than 10, as is the normal maximum for a puppeteer. Is able to perform at least two jikukan (space-time) ninjutsu. Moves extremely fast, as shown when he ran from the Mizukage after they fought and he lost, and hits rather hard. Showed an advanced healing factor of unknown origin, allowing him to shrug off many injuries. Suspected jinchuriki, possibly of the Rokubi, as it is the only unaccounted for bijuu at this moment in time. Unknown genjutsu capabilities. Seen using multiple weapons, such as tonfa, a zanbato, a katana, a dual-bladed kusarigama, a large scythe, two small scythes, and ninja wire in place of previously noted chakra strings(able to create these as well, presumably with Koton). Multiple reports of him using fuinjutsu of some sort, even causing jikukan jutsu-like effects with it.

Bounty:

-Kirigakure: Dead or Alive: 37,000,000 ryo- wanted for openly opposing Kirigakure government and perpetuating a war.(A/N: This is just about $3 million USD, a little more than Asuma in the bingo book.)

-Amegakure: Alive: 40,000,000 ryo- wanted for possessing highly classified information.(A/N: The akatsuki want the Kyuubi pretty badly, so they'll match the price.)

Threat Level/Rank: High A-class; do not underestimate. Only weakness may be genjutsu and possible lack of experience. Known to take on experienced jonin and kill them. Fought the Mizukage in death match while fighting part of an army and lived. Do not approach with any shinobi below chunin in rank, though jonin+ is recommended for best survival chance; do not fight alone unless nearing the minimum kage level with a lot of experience. Otherwise, face in a group larger than 20 chunin+ level ninja who are prepared for him SPECIFICALLY. Able to destroy very large groups alone.

As he looked up from the book, he tossed it to Anko as he laid back in his chair, shock clear on his face. Shaking his head, he brought his tea in for another sip before placing it on the table in front of his chair. Kogo laughed at him in his head, loving his reaction. **'Well, I'd say that you're decently well-known now. Hope your beloved tou-chan, or, Kami forbid, your kaa-chan don't find out. For your sake.' **Kurama also found amusement in this. **'Just fixed one little problem and another pops up. I wonder how good your luck will be when all this karma finally evens out.' **Naruto could only pray it evened itself out soon.

Looking over to Anko, he asked, grumbling slightly, "What do you want to know? It said A LOT about what I can do already." Anko thought for a moment before asking, "Did you get laid a single time during your travels?" "I refrain from answering." "Aw. Was she at least good?" Naruto gave her a look that just shouted "Shut up. Right now." Anko sighed. "Fine, be that way. How about this? Why does Kiri want you so bad?"

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. _'THIS I can answer.' _Thinking of how to start, he took another sip of his tea. "Well," he began, "I was going through Mizu no Kuni after a recent job at a manor. The master of the house was a rapist and an overall scumbag, so I ended him and took my pay, and a bit extra. This caught the attention of Kiri, who had him as an associate. They offered for me to work for the Mizukage, as there was a civil war going on and they found that I was strong enough. I didn't know how they knew I was strong, but I had already passed through Ame at that point, so they probably saw the entry that I was unaware of. Regardless, I decided to consider the proposal and met with the Mizukage to discuss terms of service. He was willing to pay a large sum and I was willing to END the war for him, but that was only until I asked why the war was being waged. Apparently, those possessing kekkei genkai are demonized, hunted, and executed there, and a pro kekkei genkai faction eventually was formed, fighting against the Mizukage's influence. A war broke out, and that was where I had found myself.

"Well, after I declined and told him my reasons, he said, "If you aren't for us, you are against us." He then tried to have me arrested, but the shinobi who attempted it were, ah, dealt with. Quickly and brutally. Anyway, I left after that, as I was prepared for him to turn on me. I used a space-time jutsu, similar to the Hiraishin, which allows me to appear just about anywhere. I can't quite use it in battle without wasting a fuck ton of chakra, and doubt I'll ever be able to use it efficiently, but that's a different matter. Appearing on the edge of Kiri, I proceeded to leave, but I was stopped by the rebel faction, or at least a few of them, after I got a mile or so out. They'd heard of how easily I got away from the Mizukage after killing what were apparently Kiri ANBU." At this point, Anko was gaping at him, but he paid her no mind and continued his story.

"I agreed to listen to their offer, as I didn't really mind helping, but I don't do stuff like that for free. This was the last place I visited before I came back, so I also informed them that they had my services for a maximum of 3 months before I would be unavailable for at least 4 years. They took it rather well and offered me some training in any two things I wanted, so I asked to be trained in the use of a zanbato, as Kiri is known for theirs, and to just observe some of the bloodline users, maybe ask a few questions. We came to an agreement that I could do so for a couple bloodlines and I would train with Zabuza Momochi for the zanbato training. In return, I'd be a loyal soldier for the next 3 months." He paused to take another sip of his tea here, talking for so long making his throat feel a little dry.

"Over my time there, plans were made and launched, and a few encounters with the Mizukage happened. In the final days before I had to leave, I was part of a major attack that, if done right, could've ended the war. All of our hardest hitters were there, including the rebellion leader, Mei Terumi. We were all to hold off any forces that came to aid the Mizukage while she and Zabuza fought the Mizukage, a few others set to help them if things got sticky. None of it went down that way, as we were ratted out by a spy, so when we did go for it, we were ambushed by the majority of the Mizukage's forces, as almost all of us were currently fighting. I made the choice to cover their retreat, making an army of my special clones. I was even forced to release most of my seals to survive the encounter, as I was facing the Mizukage and his army with only a few jonin and chunin to back me up, though Zabuza and his two followers were among them.

"Unfortunately they all died, except Zabuza and two of his followers, but those that fell blew themselves up after throwing themselves into the thick of the army, taking out a large portion with each of them that fell. Eventually, it was just me and Zabuza's group against the remainder of the forces and the Mizukage. They'd originally been holding the Mizukage as best he could while I took out as many of the "small fry" as I could, as I proved to have the more widespread lethal techniques despite his Muon Satsujin (Soundless Murder/ Silent Killing) being very effective.

"After they failed to actually take Yagura, the Mizukage, out, and were losing badly at that point, I covered for them as they fled as well. In the end, it was me against the remainder of the army and the mostly fresh Mizukage, who, by the way, is the jinchuriki of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame (Three-Tailed Giant Turtle). The fight, if you could call it that, was bullshit. He has full control of his bijuu, making everything I did have just about no effect. I went to my limits and beyond just to keep up with him… AND his army. Hell, just to stay alive. They even forced me to use Kogo, the Kyuubi's, chakra, and I was still hanging on for dear life. Obviously, I couldn't win, so I eventually had to retreat, but I could only do that after I thinned out his forces enough to not worry about pursuit.

"When I finally managed to get away from Yagura, which I consider an accomplishment in and of itself, I ran in my enhanced form. My speed was higher that Yagura's, letting me get pretty far before I was actually forced to stop so I could deal with my wounds. I met with Zabuza and, after giving a few explanations, just made my way here directly. I don't know if he went back afterwards or left the country after openly fighting the Mizukage, but I'd have left immediately if I were him.

"After a week or so, as I rested in a town or two and found a last minute thing to train on before really hauling ass here, I managed to reach this place. Over the final few days, I managed to get the pieces I needed to revive both Minato and Kushina from my seal. You have no clue how annoying it was to attempt without alerting half of Hi no Kuni of what I was doing. Regardless, that's pretty much why Kiri wants me right now: I kinda perpetuated a war, openly supported the opposition to the official but corrupt government, and fought the Mizukage 200-v.-1, letting a major supporter of the opposing faction escape along with the majority of their forces beforehand."

Anko just gaped at him for a full minute straight. During this time, Kurama asked, **'Why did you tell her so much? Kogo here has caught me up on your life, and, from what I can tell, that's a pretty big part of the last two years.' **Naruto just said, 'We can trust her. She doesn't like Konoha as much as I hated ANBU, so she won't rat me out. I'm actually surprised she hasn't left the village.' Taking a sip from his tea again, though this emptied the cup, he made a small spray of water appear in front of Anko's face, dousing said face in water.

Anko sputtered for a moment, wiping her face in her trench coat. Not liking the stain, she just took it off and threw it towards the door after flipping Naruto off. Pulling her hand across her face one last time, she finally responded to what he said. "Damn, gaki! You've fought a Kage..." She resumed staring at him before asking in an overly excited manner, "Why does Ame want you then!? Oh, this'll be god; your bounty with them is even bigger!" Naruto had to burst her bubble there, though. "Nope. Story time is over for today. Maybe another time, but for now, I don't feel like telling anymore stories." Anko's puppy dog eyes did nothing to him, as he'd trained to have a resistance to that specific kinjutsu.

After she gave up, he looked at the time and saw that it was rather late. Sighing, he made a Mujihi clone to, again, replace his current one governing the yakuza and resumed his torturous nightly training with not one, but TWO giant demon foxes in his head.

* * *

2 Weeks Later

* * *

Naruto had completely stopped going to school himself, and just let a clone do it. After reviewing what they were currently being taught in the academy, he resolved to visit his "father" to address the matter. Appearing in his office, he found Minato being reprimanded by Kushina for something. As they failed to notice him, and no ANBU were in the room for the personal moment, he listened in.

"Why did you leave that good-for-nothing pervert as the godfather? I figured you'd have picked Hiashi, but Jiraya!? **JIRAYA**!?" Her hair flowed wildly behind her as she loomed in front of Minato. Minato squirmed in his seat, her gaze seeming to unsettle even him. "W-well, I hadn't thought that he would abandon him like he did. I'm sure he had his own reasons, Shinku-hime (Scarlet Princess). As a spymaster and one of the Densetsu no Sannin (Legendary Three Ninja), I'm sure he had other responsibilities."

Kushina, despite agreeing, vented her anger on him. "Oh? So you thought making BOTH of his godparents one of the Sannin was a good idea?" Minato shrunk into his chair, but still managed to respond, "But you were the one to suggest Tsunade..." This only seemed to infuriate Kushina further, and when it looked like Minato was about to lose his legs, Naruto couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing. "Oh my god! The "great" Kiroi Senko is fucking whipped! Hahaha! And here I thought you wore the pants, Minato. Ha!" In his head, Kogo and Kurama were laughing too, though, since they didn't have to conceal it, they were laughing from the start.

Kushina and Minato both blushed, Minato far more than Kushina. Kushina then lunged out and grabbed Naruto in a death-grip. "I'm so sorry, Naru-chan! This is all our fault." Naruto disappeared from her grip, shocking both of them as they had never actually seen him use his space-time jutsu before. He had already appeared a foot or so to the right of her, wiping his eye of a tear that had formed from laughing too hard.

Getting himself under control, he addressed them. "Sorry about that; I just found it hilarious. I won't tell anybody though." Minato looked so grateful that you'd have though death spared him. "Anyway, I don't think I need to reiterate this, but I shall. I am NOT your son. It's no one but that masked man's fault that this all happened, but I have grown up already. I taught myself how to cook, how to wash, how to clean, etc. I've become a strong shinobi, at least in my opinion, and I was already guided through my first kill, shinobi guidelines, and all the other crap. I already have a steady source of income, two actually, though I won't be disclosing those. All you need to know is that one involves inter-country trade and distribution, with me pretty high up on the corporate ladder, and the other operates outside of Konoha for the most part." Naruto sighed, running a hand through his hair, his voice becoming more monotone. "I grew up with little love in my life, so getting parental love would feel a bit odd right now, and I have a few companions to save me from complete and utter loneliness. You missed your chance. I'm sorry." In his head, he added, _'Minato already fucked up as a parent, and he wasn't even my parent! Sealing a demon in your own son... asshole.'_

Seeing Kushina, tear up and Minato look borderline suicidal, he gave them a bit of leeway. "Look, I'll give you a chance, but I already told you that I don't think I need to be parented anymore. I won't move in with you, as I am quite happy with my own residence, but I'll stay over every once in a while, if it makes you feel any better. I'll let you cook some meals for me, I'll let you train a bit with me, whatever you want. You can do some of that bonding stuff, but don't get your hopes up. I predict you'll only become close friends at best." Despite what he said in the last part, their faces lit up like a Christmas tree.

Sighing at their exuberance, he proceeded to bring up his original reason for coming. "Anyway, I came here to ask you about the academy, Minato. I reviewed the curriculum -don't ask how I got a hold of that- and I am rather disappointed. I hope you don't approve of how it's being taught right now, because it's rather pathetic. The genin produced by this program could be beaten by academy students in some other villages. No focus on physical conditioning until the third year? Even then it has to contend with the bullshit you're passing off as important to know. We don't need to know that Hashirama Senju was the first person to tame all the bijuu, all we should know that the Mokuton could suppress a bijuu's power. And, on the topic of bijuu, there is nothing on the topic of jinchuriki. They are some of the hardest hitters in any military force of a village; how do you expect them to know what they're up against?

"And don't get me started on the other random bullshit that's thrown in there. Tobirama Senju enjoyed dango. Big fucking whoop, so does Anko." When he mentioned Anko, Kushina made a note to ask her about her son. "Mito Uzumaki was a large purveyor of natural cures as opposed to artificial ones. Great, so was my baa-chan." Both their ears perked up at the mention of his baa-chan, but they made a note to ask him about it later. "What I'm trying to say here is that you're not preparing them for the real world. You should be drilling battle tactics and shinobi rules into their minds. Maybe if it had to do with something important to Konoha, like Tsunade's contribution to the medical field, then you could include it, but, more often than not, the information they're trying to teach us won't help us survive. At the very most, what they're teaching COULD be used in some sort of political sense, but even that isn't likely." After he was done, he just gave Minato a hard look. "If you keep it like this, you'll be sending naive children to their deaths in a cruel world."

Minato sighed before answering. "I read through this already, Naruto-kun, and I agree with you completely. Unfortunately, the civilian council has more control over that than I do, as the students are civilian children before they graduate, technically. I could try to talk them into a more intensive program, but I doubt they'd listen to... me. Never mind, I could probably do it." Naruto scoffed at him before saying, "Don't get cocky. But you are right; they fucking worship you. Regardless of that, though, this is a military dictatorship. You aren't obligated to listen to them, though that fact has been lost for a while, it seems. Remind them of that, and they should sober up pretty quickly." Naruto then turned to leave when he heard a voice that didn't seem to have any discernible source. "Well, haven't you grown up splendidly, gaki?"

Turning to the corner of the room, where he felt the chakra signature, he asked, "Who are you and how do you know me?" A ripple came across the corner, but a puff of smoke appeared before Naruto could see the person behind it, though he got what he looked like from his perpetually active technique. "THANK YOU FOR ASKING!" Odd kabuki music began playing, though Naruto couldn't sense a radio ANYWHERE in the vicinity. "I am the monk of the frog spirits that hails from Myobokuzan, also known as the Gama Sennin (A/N: Different from Sannin)! The strongest of men tremble in fear from my very presence! Women fall to their knees in awe of my glory! You have the honor of me being your godfather! I am the gallant, JIRAYA!" All the while, he had been doing some freaky dance on top of a toad, and it ended in a pose that made Naruto want to slice off the man's legs.

Naruto's face couldn't have hit his palm harder. "I will forever regret asking that question..." In his head he added,_ 'He does have cool hair, though._' He then perked up and asked, "Wait, you're the writer of the IchaIcha series, yeah?" At his proud nod, Naruto sighed. "At least you're not a complete failure. Those are pretty good, although, I'd say you should add a bit more plot. No need to take out anything, just get more done in a single issue." Jiraya, Minato, and Kushina all looked at him with shock written all over their faces. Even the toad Jiraya was standing on gave him an odd look before dispersing.

Feeling all of their stares, he only asked, "What?" At their continued shock, he continued to talk. "The plot is nice, it has rather vivid imagery, and the characters have a sense of realism that just about anyone could relate to. It's a good book, and the presence of a few smutty scenes... okay, a lot of smutty scenes, doesn't change that. I'd recommend it to anyone with a healthy mind that is developed enough to handle a story with, ah, a VIVID description of a Casa Nova's life." Jiraya broke out of his shock first, appearing behind Naruto with speed that rivaled Mianto's Hiraishin. "Hahaha! I like you already gaki!" he said as he slung his hand around Naruto's shoulder. "So, you're Naruto, eh? Well, I already knew that, but, whatever. Tell me, tits or ass?"

Naruto looked up at him with a deadpan look before disappearing from his grip. "You are a failure of a godparent. You haven't quite earned the right to get so close with me... Oh, and, while I prefer ass over tits, I think a good ratio that fits the person they're on is best" When he actually answered the question, Kurama could no longer hold his laughter. **'Gahahaha! Being around Kogo does tend to give people a healthy like for the body! Oh, I love this gaki!' **Naruto rolled his eyes, but didn't deny what was asserted, making Kurama laugh all the harder.

Kushina, on the other hand, couldn't believe her ears. _'NOOO! My sweet little boy was corrupted by Jiraya without even meeting him!' _Minato was just shocked they got along this well. That is, until Naruto buried his fist in Jiraya's stomach, the man being nowhere near prepared for it. Minato could only think, _'There it is.'_ as he saw Jiraya fall to the ground.

Getting up easily, as Naruto's strength was rather stunted with his newest level of resistance seals on, Jiraya asked Minato, "Do you know about your son's travels? This kid has been EVERYWHERE!" Naruto's eyes hardened at that. "How much do you know?" He was hoping beyond all hope that the spymaster hadn't put much into keeping tabs on him. His hopes were dashed when he saw Jiraya's smirk. "Well, Hiruzen asked me to keep tabs on you, just to make sure you were safe. You quickly showed that you could take care of yourself, but I was interested in learning about my godson. And damn, did I learn a lot about you... Mujihi Handan. Or do you prefer Nagare Shizen? Kyodo Kazan? Well, at least as look right now, you just go by Naruto, yeah?" He taunted Naruto with the names of his alternate identities, though Minato and Kushina looked rather confused.

Naruto had two choices right now: kill him, which he really wished he could accomplish, or talk his way out, which he doubted he could accomplish but was his only real option. Keeping his cool, though his parents had noticed his jaw clench during Jiraya's little speech, he asked, "How much do you know ABOUT me? Alternate identities I've taken up aren't much of anything." Jiraya smiled wider, loving this. "Well, gaki, I've seen you do certain jobs, and how some of them have ended for your employer. I've also gotten reports of you, ah, MANAGING your COMPANY." He was dropping hints to Naruto that he knew about the yakuza and his other form of employment but wasn't saying anything to his parents, something he was VERY grateful for. "We'll have to talk about that later, as you have access to info that is rather hard for me to get, sometimes. I'm sure we could come to an agreement." Knowing that he had no real choice in the matter, he nodded stiffly. Jiraya continued at this. "I'm also aware of your ASSOCIATES from Suna and a few of your close calls with the other hidden villages, especially that one with Kumo. I couldn't really get much on your fight with Yagura in Kiri, as that place has been locked tight ever since, but I hear that it was amazing." Now, Naruto was starting to get angry. _'How much does this stalker know!?'_

At the infuriated look that was starting to come over Naruto's face, Jiraya made a placating gesture with his hands. "Don't worry about it, gaki. I've been in this business from before you were alive; makes sense that I can gather info on you better. But you don't need to worry about a leak; I won't say a word to anyone else. In return, I'd like your cooperation with my spy network, because your reach goes across multiple countries now; you even have some info on Ame, and I couldn't get ANYTHING from that place. It'll be mutually beneficial." Naruto nodded somewhat stiffly, still on edge from someone knowing so much about him. _'At least he doesn't know everything. Good thing he doesn't have much from Kiri, else he would've known about me pulling out all the stops against Yagura, and he'd know just how strong I am. He seems to know about the little underground empire I've built, though, so I have to be careful with him...'_

His thoughts were interrupted by a confused and curious pair of parents. "What the hell have you been doing, Naruto-kun?" Kushina, despite how forcefully she asked, had an extremely worried expression on her face. Sighing, Naruto just said, "Don't worry about it. I have things to manage outside of Konoha, just like Jiraya. I don't really need the academy, so I don't mind being the dead-last from absences or anything, though I really can just have a clone attend for me..." Seeing that Kushina was about to push the issue, he pulled out his trump card. Swallowing his pride, he said, "Don't worry about it, Kaa-chan." Her overjoyed face at finally being called that was enough for Naruto to know she was satisfied at the moment.

Minato was still curious, though. "Why did you fight Yagura? As strong as you are, you couldn't have thought you could take on a Kage." Naruto just sighed, feeling a headache coming on. He was saved by Jiraya, though. "Minato, don't push him. He'll tell you when he feels comfortable enough. If you want a little on what happened, read his page in the bingo book." Both parents were shocked to hear he was in the bongo book, end even more shocked when they read that he was labeled an A-rank, almost S-Rank, threat with so much money on him already. Conflicting feelings of pride and sadness welled up in both of them, making them both lose themselves in thought.

Naruto took this opportunity to leave, saying good bye to both Minato and Kushina before turning to Jiraya and saying, "We will talk later." Minato and Kushina, snapping out of their small trance, they cursed themselves for missing a chance to find out more about their son.

* * *

Little more than a year later...

* * *

Naruto decided that he'd go to school himself today, as he had something he had to do. Something he should've done a while ago. Enduring the day, he caught the local heart throb, Sasuke Uchiha, being surrounded by fan-girls at the end of the day. Appearing in a tree above him, he asked, "Want some help?" Getting a furious nod of the head as a response, he reached down, grabbed Sasuke's shoulder, and moved them to the Uchiha compound. As the disappeared, the yaoi fan-girls were about to jump them, shipping the hell out the couple, while his own group of stalkers were about to tear Sasuke apart for being "unworthy" of his help.

Appearing in the Kitchen with Mikoto making a small meal, he bowed to her, giving a small greeting before getting down to business. "I am aware of your plan, Mikoto and Surashi. And I'm sorry about not being completely honest with you." The two looked shocked and worried beyond what Naruto expected, so he raised his hands in a placating motion. "I was aware of Surashi for a long time." After saying this, he let his features change to those of Mujihi, eliminating their worry and tripling their shock.

Mujihi smirked, before continuing to talk, this time directing his words directly at "Sasuke". "I would obviously know about you, Surashi-chan." Both of them were shell shocked, but Mikoto recovered first, suspicion written all over her face. "You can't be Mujihi. You were out of the village for two years!" Naruto realized it wouldn't be easy, so he got down to explaining. "I made a clone to be Mujihi here for two years. It's a special type of clone which is all but alive. It can eat, sleep, produce and use up chakra, though its chakra returns much slower than my own. I based it off the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, so its memories are transferred to me after it dispels. The biggest difference is that I can choose the amount of chakra it takes, so I can determine if it's supposed to use one jutsu then disperse or pose as me for an extended period of time, as I had it do."

He paused to grab a seat, giving both of them a chance to as well. "The plan you made, while sound, won't work for long. The shinobi council may be sworn to secrecy about her, and all Uchiha related info may have been classified, but there are somethings YOU can't stop. Any byakugan user could inadvertently disclose your secret, making the whole thing useless. As such, I made an anti-dojutsu seal which will at least stop the byakugan from seeing through your clothes. Unfortunately, I can't stop its inherent ability to see chakra, so they can still see your tenketsu, but this will let you hide your gender properly.

"Also, if you were to fight, say, Hinata in a spar, her jyuuken could accidentally destroy your genjutsu. For that, I have this seal tag imbued with a rather powerful genjutsu I was taught called the Nise Gaiken. It will actually change your appearance to that of "Sasuke", though I'll have to renew it every week or so." At this point, he went back to being Naruto and "Sasuke" cancelled the genjutsu, revealing Surashi once more. Naruto looked at her in relative shock. "Damn! You grew real quick."

He was completely justified in his surprise. Her deep blue/black hair, which was previously short, now reached her mid back, similar to her mother's, but hers was somewhat spiky, flaring off to the sides as it went down her back. Her face had, unsurprisingly, lost most, if not all of her baby fat, as he knew she'd been training her ass off to face Itachi. Overall, he could only think, _'Cute... But she still has some growing up to do.' _Shaking his head, he asked Mikoto, "Why don't you just go to Minato and ask him to protect your daughter? He's a just man, and I doubt Kushina would let him let her become breeding stock. And why aren't you in danger anyway? I don't see you trying to pose as Fugaku."

Mikoto sighed. "For me, well, I've already had a child, two in fact, so I'm safe from being forced to remarry and have children, but Surashi isn't. The council had been kept in the dark on the events that occurred on that night; as far as they know, Surashi died as well and Sasuke just happened to survive and still be able to activate the Sharingan. If they knew their precious "Sasuke" was a girl, she'd be forced to birth a Sharingan army from the moment her doctor reported her first period. Even some of the shinobi council are somewhat inclined to do that to her, so we can't really leave up to a chance vote."

Naruto nodded then asked. "Why didn't you go to Minato? JUST Minato. I feel like everyone forgets that this is technically a military dictatorship, so Minato's word is law. We can contest it and make him change his mind, but the moment you don't do what he says, you could be executed. So, knowing that, why don't you just go to Minato? It saves the trouble of me having to do the seal and everything. I only had them if you had some sort of legitimate reason you couldn't go to him." Both Surashi and Mikoto felt rather dumb, but nodded regardless, agreeing to go to Minato for help.

"Well," Naruto began, stretching his arms and getting up, "I'm off. Maybe we can train together sometime, Surashi-chan." Mikoto looked at him questioningly and asked, "Can't you stay for a bit? I just made some brownies for Surashi, but you're welcome to share." His will power crumbled at the mention of her brownies, and he quickly sat down again, trying to seem like he was doing it to please her instead of getting brownies. Surashi rolled her eyes at his eagerness.

* * *

End of the academy- End of the year

* * *

As people were called up, one by one, to take their final tests in taijutsu against one of the instructor, Naruto tried his hardest not to fall asleep standing up. 'THIS IS SO FUCKING BORING!' Kurama laughed in his head, Kogo's laughter mixing with his own. **'Can't say we didn't tell you it'd be boring as fuck! Ha, dumbass!' **Kogo's agreement only served to deepen his self-hatred in that moment. He didn't remember the last time he actually slept instead of meditating, but this WAS the first time he'd been in school for around two years, so the boring factor was multiplied to the point where he, who didn't even have to sleep, was being put to sleep. _'I'd forgotten how boring this shit is. I should've just let a clone do it.' _Things progressed as expected, aka rather slowly.

Finally it was his turn, and the rules were explained to him by Iruka Umino, probably his favorite teacher for the sheer fact that, from the memories he'd gotten, he managed to make the lessons interesting and actually cared about whether his students survived as shinobi, whereas other instructors couldn't give a rats ass about students who considered it a game. "Okay Naruto, you have to last 40 seconds against me to get a passing grade, a minute for a perfect score, and you can go up to a minute and a half for a maximum of 120%. Your officially down if I knock you out of the ring, put you in a position where you'd get injured, or if I disable you. Now... Hajime!"

Iruka, though he'd been going extremely easy on all but four of his students, and even then he didn't try TOO hard, rocketed off towards Naruto, knowing that Naruto would kick his ass if he didn't try. Naruto, being almost asleep from the wait, yawned as he began dodging Iruka's punches, not even entering a stance for fighting. After shaking off his sleepiness thirty seconds into the match, already passing, he proceeded to bury his fist in Iruka's stomach, not even giving the man a chance to respond with the surprise from his first attack in the entire match. Naruto was tall enough to reach the upper part of his chest with his head, so this was no problem for him. Iruka was sent flying, as he didn't expect it, and landed outside the ring. "Does this mean I win, Iruka-san?" Despite liking him as a teacher, her didn't call anyone sensei unless they actually managed to teach him something.

Iruka sighed. "I guess you get the 120%. There isn't really a precedent for the student actually winning the match, so I'll just give you the maximum." After another 45 seconds, in which Ino Yamanaka went, being the only person who goes after him, they moved on. "Now class, it's time for the shuriken and kunai accuracy test." Getting in front of the gathered students once more, he lead them to an area in their training field that had test dummies with targets on vital areas set up. After explaining the rules, he let the student begin to attempt it. One by one, students went up and sent the point projectiles into the poor dummies, though there were multiple students that were pretty bad at it, meaning they missed most if not all they threw. There were perfect scores and higher, though. Hinata hit all vital spots dead center, throwing all of them at once to gain extra points. So did Ino and two no name students. Surashi went up and also did it flawlessly, throwing them all at once and gaining extra points for it.

Naruto went second to last, but when he went up, Iruka asked him, "Do you actually HAVE shuriken or kunai, Naruto?" All through the school year, despite proving multiple times that he was the best, Naruto lagged behind in grades, only barely passing, and not even that at times. He didn't ever practice accuracy with the class, and rarely bothered putting any effort into anything but sparring. To everyone's great surprise, Naruto MADE shuriken and kunai in both hands and threw them, each of them getting stuck rather deeply into vital spots on the dummies.

Having thrown them all at once, he got bonus points, but Naruto didn't even wait to see if they all hit, having attached chakra strings to them regardless. He felt the other instructor, Mizuki, attach some strings to his shuriken but he easily broke the connection and corrected the slight damage done to his projectiles' path before they hit. Glancing over at said instructor, he smirked slightly, happy that there was SOME form of entertainment for him.

This time, Mizuki announced the test. "The next test, on jutsu, will be here as well. You will have to dodge at least 3 barrages of blunted shuriken out of the five we will throw with the kawarimi, create a passable bunshin of any sort, and transform into someone we will specify to you. You may perform any additional jutsu for extra points, and points will be awarded based on the jutsu's strength. Alternate bunshin do count for extra, but you may do another jutsu as well." Everyone went once more, no one really managing to fail the first or last part (A/N: So I won't include them.). Shino using a Mushi Bunshin (Bug Clone) instead of the usual bunshin and one of his clan's hijutsu, the Mushidama (Bug Sphere), to cover a dummy in the chakra draining insects. He got a 130 on this section of the test.

Hinata went not long after, doing a standard bunshin, so she wouldn't get any extra points there, but she used one of her clan's jutsu that no one expected her to know, the Hakke Kusho (Eight Trigrams Air Palm), for extra points. The dummy she hit was obliterated, having not really been made to withstand jutsu like that. Naruto gave her an approving look, which made her beam, as she'd been trying, and somewhat failing, to really impress him since their spar on his first day back. She got a 130, the power of her jutsu making up for the lack of an alternate bunshin. Notably, Kiba also did some clan jutsu, using Akamaru as a clone in his Jujin Bunshin no Jutsu (Man-Beast Clone) and performing a single Tsuga (Fang), as he was unable to coordinate his with Akamaru's yet. Shredding a dummy to pieces, he looked rather proud of his 140 in the ninjutsu section, giving Naruto and Surashi a look that said "Beat that!" in his usual cocky fashion. Though Surashi just rolled her eyes, Naruto's face showed his response. "Gladly."

Eventually, all of the rookie nine went, sans Naruto and Surashi. Choji had used the normal bunshin and his clan's Bubun Baika no Jutsu (Partial Expansion Technique), destroying two dummies and netting him 130, Shikamaru made a standard clone and used the Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique) on Iruka, gaining 120 points, and even Ino, who Naruto and Surashi allowed to go before them, made a standard clone and used her clan's Shintenshin (Mind Body Switch) to control Mizuki's body for a while, earning her 120 points.

Surashi was up next, and she proceeded to do as multiple students before her, transforming into Tsunade Senju as her person and dodging ALL the shuriken barrages, a first among the entire class, as even Hinata had gotten clipped by one in the final wave and didn't get the points. She then proceeded to do a normal clone, as Naruto refused to show her the Kage Bunshin, despite her reserves from practicing Katon ninjutsu, and her mother followed his example. After completing all the required parts, Iruka asked, "Do you know any other jutsu?" Smirking she looked over at Naruto with a clear message on her face. "Watch this." Going through 4 hand-signs that ended in tora (tiger), she said, loud enough to gain everyone's attention, "Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu (Fire Style: Dragon Flame Technique)!" Flames spewed from her mouth, flying at and incinerating a group of dummies and scorching the ground around it, and even melting it in some areas. Everyone in the clearing was shocked silent, before the clearing erupted into cheers from her peers. She looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, waiting for a response.

After Naruto retrieved his eyebrows from his hairline, though no one could really see where they went, as his hair covered them, he put two thumbs up, nodded at her. Surashi beamed then stuck her tongue out at Hinata, who "Hmph"-ed and looked away. She got a 180 as her grade.

Naruto then came up for his turn, smirking with glee no one knew he had. _'I've been waiting SO LONG to show off a bit!'_ He did the barrages perfectly as well, being the second to do so. He transformed into Minato, showing everyone the uncanny resemblance their faces had, and did a clone jutsu, creating at least 50 clones, though no one recognized the jutsu he used. Iruka was the one to ask the question. "What clone technique was that?" Naruto smirked before explaining. "It's one of my own creation called the Seiei Bunshin. I based it off a kinjutsu, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, so it has the same effect of transmitting memories and being solid chakra constructs, though these are a bit more literal chakra constructs, but this one doesn't naturally halve your chakra, even when you're just making one, like the Kage Bunshin. There is a minimum chakra requirement for each, but past that, you may create as many as your heart desires, if you know how to form the chakra." After explaining and leaving people's jaws on the ground, he gave them a moment to digest it all.

After getting his jaw unstuck from the ground, Iruka asked, "Do you... ah screw it. Just show us." Naruto responded, "Oh, gladly." before looking around. "We'll need to get a few more dummies. At least 10." Mizuki lead the group of students to another group of dummies that were set up in case they were needed. Stepping up to them, though he stayed around 10 feet from them, he said, "You should all back up. Like, at least 10-12 feet." After they did so, he held his right hand out to his side and channeled youki into the air. The black energy became visible before forming into a long, pure black scythe. Naruto smile maliciously before using both hands and spinning it around him a few times, before switching from letting it go around his waist horizontally to going back and forth diagonally, the blade forming a figure eight shape.

Using one of swings to his right side, he caught it in his right hand and spun it behind him. In his head he heard Kurama chuckle. **'Finally showing off a bit, eh? Good, this shit was getting REALLY boring.' **Naruto smirked before channeling a decently large amount of youki, his, Kurama's, and Kogo's, through his body. It formed a see through sphere around him, a fox's head visible in it. The ground began to shake as it got more and more intense, flame like youki starting to fly off Naruto's body before it all concentrated into the blade of the scythe, the circular motion making it seem as though it was in a ring around a disc he was spinning. He caught it, and for a second there was no sound. He then began to speak. "Enton (Blaze Style)..." As he trailed of, he swung the scythe, a blood read path that followed his slightly tiled swing reaching all the way to the dummies. No one made a sound, but everyone watched as black and red markings made their way up and down the dummies from where the energy had touched. The dummies slowly split, a line appearing where they were touched, and the top halves slid off the bottom. Just as they hit the ground, the markings consumed the entirety of the top of the dummies. With a thought, Naruto activated them, as they were at maximum power, at least for the energy he put into the technique. "Gekihen Shemuri (Cataclysmic Reaping)." As he said those words, the clearing erupted into activity.

Pillars of black/red flames reached into the sky, removing any trace of the training dummies. Birds flew from trees and animals fled their homes for a large radius around the blasts. A heat wave was felt by the viewers, along with an explosion of pure force, causing them to stumble backward and even fall as they covered their eyes due to the dust that was kicked up. ANBU appeared to see what the hell was going on, as the pillars continued for a while, Naruto just bathing in the technique's beauty, before he finally allowed them to disperse. _'I haven't had an excuse to do this in a LONG while...'_ By the time they were allowed to dissipate, many shinobi had arrived, including Minato, Hiruzen, Kushina, all of the main jonin sensei, team 9, consisting of Tenten, Neji, and Lee, Hiashi, Mikoto, and all of the other clan heads with children in the academy. Gaining everyone's attention, Naruto turned around and asked, "What score do I get for that?"

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A/N: And, I'll end it there. I was so unsure as to when to end this, as I think you guys deserve a long chapter after my extended absence, but I missed a lot of good ending opportunities. If you guys think I should shorten this chapter and put it in pieces, go ahead and say so. I'll be fine with re-uploading it. Besides, I wrote this in different sittings, so the mood fluctuates a bit, unfortunately. Separating it into different chapters wouldn't be the most difficult thing I've done, as annoying as it'd be. I have another story I've been working on, too, but I'm not too sure about it. I might post an update to this one soon, maybe not. Finals are coming up, so I'm surprised I found time to write this out; doubt I'll be able to write another too soon. May end up at 15,000 words, in huge contrast to this one, but I don't wanna abandon this fic just yet. I have way too many ideas to just let it die. Moving on, HAREM TIME!(Side note: I am thoroughly surprised no one corrected me on Matatabi's name, which I misspelled for the past 6 chapters. You guys are rather nice, ya know!)

(**Bold=Confirmed**, _Italics=Probable_, Normal=Possible)

**Kogo(Fem Kyuubi)**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

**Fem Sasuke**

**Fem Gaara**

**Fem Hidan**

**Yugito(She got enough votes by last time.)**

_Anko: 3_

_Temari: 2_

_Tenten: 2_

_Shion: 3_

_Shizuka: 1_

_Matatabi(Nibi): 4_

Fem Kakashi: 1

So, Matatabi is in the lead right now with 4 votes! If you think the harem is big enough, just say so in the reviews. If you want your girl in there, say so. But seriously, thanks for the input peoples! I'd rather not just thrust my pairings into it since I like around fifty of them... jk, just 5. Also, even if they aren't on the list for the harem, I'll probably make a few other characters girls, just to balance out the gender thing. Thank you for reading, as usual, PM me if you have anything to say but don't wanna review. BYE GUYS( or GALS)!


	8. Team Seven Will Be- the hell?

A/N: Hello, peoples! We find ourselves here once more, new chapter in hand... well, device of choice, but whatever. This is probably going to be another long chapter, but I don't intend for it to be THAT long; maybe just gonna stick with 10,000+ for now, not 20,000+. I have exams coming up, so I'll either stock up, or just update when I can. Probably update whenever, because I have no patience on these things. Regardless, I just wanna move on in the story a bit faster, so longer chapter are probably gonna be a thing. May get into some of his... background/underground activities this chapter, just to go back to what this story is supposed to be. Also, this chapter may seem to go against what I said about Naruto being only as strong as Kakashi by the end of the original, but Kakashi is gonna get a SERIOUS buff. I don't normally explain what I'm gonna do in the story, but I'll make a few exceptions; my other story taught me that recently. Now, on with my beautiful story... kinda.

* * *

Kage Bunshin \- Jutsu (I don't think I'll be having NINJAS call out their moves that much though. It will probably be made fun of a lot later on in this story.).

**I will destroy you and everything you hold dear.** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech/thought.

_Do angels go back to heaven when they die? _\- Thought/Flashback stuff.

OH MY FUCKING GOD - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication (which is present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

* * *

Appearing in his home, Naruto was quickly confronted by Minato, Kushina, Jiraya, and Anko. They all began speaking at once, but Naruto understood the general meaning of the nonsense their voices combined into. "The fuck was that, Naruto!?" Naruto just used a bit of chakra to make some water over their heads, just to "cool them off", so to speak. After they stopped sputtering, he pulled the water out of their clothes with a thought, asking, "Are you calm now?" As they all nodded, Minato stepped forward. "I'll speak for all of us, Naruto. Ahem... WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" Naruto chuckled at the synchronized nod of the rest of his audience before answering. "That was something I pulled together with the help of a certain someone after I was taught how to use a scythe. You needn't know that specifics, but I am a badass when I get a chance to prepare for a strike, like that. Now, if you would kindly leave..." Though he said it in a lighthearted manner, his voice left no room for argument. They all looked like they wanted to press for details, but Naruto poured out some chakra, making the very air thick with it and making it hard for them to breath. "I said, if you would kindly LEAVE..." They were gone in an instant after that.

The next day, Naruto appeared in the class, also going in person for today in order to get assigned his team. In his usual seat at the back with Shino, he observed the class, or at least who was there at that point, with his eyes closed and his radar technique going into high gear. Kiba was talking animatedly with Choji and Shikamaru, neither of them seeming too interested in doing anything but eating and napping respectively. Ino was gossiping with Sakura, both looking rather content to talk on. Hinata and Surashi were talking quietly, one of them occasionally sneaking a glance at him. Shino who was sitting at the back with him, was also observing the class, seemingly trying to predict team formations. He could hear the slight buzzing of communication and the exchange of chakra with his advanced senses in hearing and chakra sensing. There was another girl in the same row as him in the back, Yakumo Kurama. She was drawing in a small sketch pad, comparing drawing techniques with the socially awkward Sai, who sat next to her in the back. Everyone else, though they probably passed, he doubted would matter enough in their individual skills to really investigate, as he could sense the depth of their ability and mental state through nature.

Waiting for a few more minutes, trying one last time to find something interesting in his "peers", he felt Iruka and Mizuki appear in the class via shunshin, surprising some of students. "Good morning, stu-. Actually, I won't call you that any longer. All of you here have passed your exams and have become official shinobi of Konoha. We are now comrades, equals, and friends. You may only be genin, but this is just a stepping stone in your career as a shinobi." After a moment's pause, he continued. "You will be organized into teams according to certain factors Hokage-sama has taken into account, such as how well you worked with each other in class, class rank, and individual ability. Now, onto the teams. Team 1 will be..." Naruto tuned him out at this point, faintly registering each team called and storing it in a bin he called "probably don't need to know" in his head. When he heard team 7, he perked up. He'd gone through Minato's files last night, without anyone knowing, of course, and knew he'd be in team 7.

Iruka looked at the sheet in confusion, unable to suppress a "The fuck?", which Mizuki admonished him for until he saw the sheet and said the same thing, but then a look of understanding came across his face as he apparently read a note that explained whatever abnormality he found. Naruto already knew what it was that troubled him, but let him say it anyway. "Okay, class, this team will be a bit different, so don't get too riled up over it. Hokage-sama wanted to try something new, since one of our students is, quote, "able to proceed without guidance if needed and aid in the instruction of fellow genin", so he organized this. Sai Shimura, Yakumo Kurama, Hinata Hyuuga, Surashi Uchiha, and... Naruto Uzumaki." The class erupted into protest on how unfair the team was, but one shout from his big-head no jutsu shut them up.

Clearing his throat, he continued. "The only difference here is that you, Naruto," as he said this, he pointed at Naruto, who he knew was awake despite his eyes being closed, "are expected to be a... teacher's aid, of sorts. You are proficient in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and much more that you can help teach, which will allow your sensei to teach the others more as you help. You will also be back up on missions to any team that gets in trouble. Your position will be known as, and I didn't name it, a Seiei Genin Sensei(Elite Low-Ninja Teacher)." Minato was never known for his naming skills.

The class, sans Naruto, as he already knew of it, gave him an odd look at the name, but he only shrugged. "I didn't name it, guys. Don't shoot the messenger. Moving on, you're sensei will be Kakashi Hatake. Team 8, you consist of Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Sakura Haruno. Your sensei will be Kurenai Yuuhi. Team 9 is still in circulation. Team 10, you consist of Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akamichi, and Shikamaru Nara. Your sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi." He then proceeded to give out a few more team assignments, before finally dismissing them with a smile, Mizuki telling them to come back at noon tomorrow for the final time... hopefully." He mumbled the last part, but a few in the class, including Naruto, heard him and got a bit curious. Unfortunately for them, they had little chance to ask him as he proceeded to leave the room.

Naruto looked at the ones Minato chose as his teammates and began to think, allowing the two demons in his head to hear it. 'Does this guy really want me to train genin... AS A GENIN!?' Kurama shrugged, but Kogo laughed. She only told him one thing. **'You'll be more likely to leave the village on a mission now. This is great!'** Kurama nodded in understanding, the action unseen but known to Naruto. **'Good point. I haven't got to do anything worthwhile in a long time. Fighting your clones gets real boring after a while, even with everything you can do.'** A mental scoff was his only response, as Naruto didn't wish to dispute that.

Sighing, he got up and looked at his teammates. Surashi was torn between being happy and being really mad. On one hand, she was working with her best friends, but on the other, she was working with Yakumo, a rival of hers. Hinata was beaming, happy to be on a team with both her best friends. Yakumo and Sai looked at one another before giving small smiles, rather content with the team configuration. Naruto just sighed, coming to terms with who he'd be working with for now, and decided to leave, saying good bye to each of his teammates.

Heading down the street to his favorite ramen stand in order to treat himself, he was stopped by Mizuki. "Hello, Naruto-kun. Good job out there yesterday." Naruto nodded but kept walking to his reward for going to school. "I know it was. No, I know you want something from me Mizuki. Out with it." Mizuki was a bit annoyed, but kept up his nice teacher facade, not knowing that Naruto knew what kind of person he was already due to probing him with natural energy a LONG time ago. "Well, Naruto-kun, I was thinking that you deserve a higher rank than genin right now." Naruto nodded. "Ain't that the truth. But, what do YOU want?"

Mizuki gave up the whole beating around the bush thing and just said it. "You can attain a higher rank via a special type of mission that an instructor can assign you as you graduate from the academy. It's rarely used, but I believe it would be worth it to give it to you. Do you accept?" Naruto nodded, not caring about the obvious trap. In all his total hundreds of hours of memorizing Konoha protocol, not once did he encounter a thing such as this, so he was certain it didn't exist. "Good." He handed Naruto a paper with a location scribbled onto it. "Now, you must covertly retrieve a fake copy of the forbidden scroll from the Hokage-sama's office and bring it to this location between 10 pm to midnight tonight. Otherwise, you'll be a genin until you progress on your own. I hope you do well, Naruto-kun." With that, Mizuki stopped walking towards the ramen stand with Naruto and jumped to a roof.

Naruto continued on, not worried by this in the slightest as he'd infiltrated the office a couple times already with no issues, though that's because it was actually his specialty and had been since he was five. Reaching the Ichiraku Ramen stand, he entered and smiled at the two at the counter. "Hey Ayame-chan, Teuchi-jii!" They welcomed him as family as he sat down. "I heard you graduated from the academy, Naruto-kun." This came from Ayame who was already preparing Naruto's usual. Naruto smirked. "Of course I passed, Ayame-chan." Over the years, the bond he had with the ramen chefs had grown exponentially, making them his family, along with Hiruzen.

Teuchi then cut in. "Well then, in honor of our number one customer's graduation, we've added a new order to the list. Go on, look." Spurred on by him, Naruto looked at the list he'd memorized ages ago. "Naruto Special, huh? Has a nice ring to it, ne?" He chuckled, and was soon joined by the two ramen chefs. "Well then, I'll have a Naruto special!" Teuchi gestured to Ayame, who'd been preparing since he got there. "She's already making it, Naruto-kun. One of everything, like usual." As he finished, Ayame finished the first bowl, setting it in front of Naruto. "Enjoy, Naruto-kun. It's on the house today." Smiling, he ate to his hearts content.

An hour later, Naruto was finished going through three Naruto specials. Stretching, he got up. "Gotta go, guys. Thanks for the food; it's still the best." As he left, he threw a stack of cash on the counter. "I know it was on the house, so there's a tip." He winked at them as he left, leaving no room for argument as he walked out, leaving them angry he paid for the meal but thankful for the money from him all at the same time. Making his way home, he got to meditating as he waited for the time of his "mission".

Night fell and, eventually, it was time for his mission. Opening his eyes, he focused his sensory skills on the Hokage office, noticing that it had been locked. Tight. There were guards around it from every conceivable entrance, even the vents. Thankfully for him, he didn't need and entrance. With a thought, he appeared inside the office, his meisaigakure no jutsu( hiding with camouflage technique) active just in case. Appearing in the office while still invisible, he quickly made 2 clones that, which was also invisible, made 2 full copies of the scroll, one for him and one for whoever Mizuki was working for. While he didn't care if Mizuki actually got the scroll, he didn't feel like pushing his luck with his "father" by committing outright treason. After the clone finished, he absorbed it, as he was watching for a possible Anbu check, and left in the same manner he appeared: undetected.

Appearing near a cottage on the outskirts of the village territory, he smiled as he became visible again and looked over the scroll he kept out, as he'd stored the other one. "Kokuangyo no Jutsu (Bringer of Darkness Tecknique), Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation), Chimera no Jutsu (Chimera Technique), the Hakke no Fuin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Style), the Shiki Fujin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal)... yes. So much yes." _'I mean, I already have the chimera no jutsu AND the kokuangyo, but hey, FREE JUTSU TO MASTER!'_ Mizuki chose that moment to pop up, congratulating Naruto on doing it so successfully. "Now, gimme the scroll so I can return it, Naruto-kun." Naruto looked at him like he was crazy. "You expect me to give away such power? To YOU? Maybe if your master showed himself, I MIGHT give it to him, but you'd kill yourself with it." Seeing him about to play dumb, he cut him off. "Don't try it with me, Mizuki. I'm well aware that there is no such test. And I can tell that SOMEONE is pulling your strings, too. So cut it."

A creepy but familiar voice rang out in the clearing. "Astute as ever, Naruto-kun." Naruto stiffened at the sound, as he was hoping his senses were wrong for the first time in a long time. Keeping his cool, he addressed the Hebi Sannin."Orochimaru, eh? Well, what is it that brings you to my neck of the woods. Want a rematch? Last time it was clone v. clone, but how about you face the real thing. Or do you really just want this scroll?"

Orochimaru chuckled in his creepy way as he responded. "Kukukuku. I'm afraid that I only wish for the scroll this time, dear Naruto-kun, but don't worry. You can have your rematch soon. For now, how about we just talk." Naruto answered as if he was speaking to an old rival, which he was, in a sense. "Alright. You first, how've you been, Hebi-san?" Orochimaru seemed to smiled wider as he spoke. "Marvelous, Naruto-kun. I recently made a breakthrough on certain experiments. Would you like to see? It's the juinjutsu advancement you helped with. I managed to stabilize it with even more of the enzymes within it." He tossed Naruto a scroll that he opened, actually raising an eyebrow at the contents. "Hm. Impressive, but has anyone stayed sane through this? I know that isn't your priority, but what good is all this power if they can't really use it?" Orochimaru chuckled before responding, "The mind is so easily manipulated, Naruto-kun. All my subjects need do is obey me. Anything beyond that is not my concern, as you know. So, how about you give me the scroll, Naruto-kun? I don't have much time within this blasted village."

Naruto sighed, not wanting to fight the Sannin again, so he gave him the scroll. Last time he fought him, he used, no, needed a near max power Seiei Bunshin just to face a powered up Kage Bunshin from Orochimaru, and even then, he only barely won. Kurama butt in at that point. **'Do you really think you should give him that, ningen?' **He gave a mental nod, not really wanting to take his focus off Orochimaru on the off chance the Sannin wanted to attack him. "There you go; I already made my own copy. Now, is there anything else? Your subject is starting to annoy me with his smirking." Orochimaru gave Mizuki a look before sending his tongue out with enough force to smash a brick wall. It collided with his neck, killing him instantly. "There. Now, Naruto-kun, how about we talk for a while. I haven't seen you since that lab blew up. I think we'd both benefit from a bit of catching up. I even have an offer for you." He then turned around an began walking into the forest, making his way out of the Konoha area. Naruto was reluctant to follow, but his curiosity got the better of him. Following Orochimaru, they made their way deep into the forest, reaching one of his hideouts. Naruto sighed, making sure he was prepared to escape in an instant, before following Orochimaru in.

Next morning, as Minato was making himself comfortable in his chair, Naruto appeared in his office with a dead Mizuki slung over his shoulder. He dropped the body on the ground and began talking, ignoring Minato's shock or any of the Anbu that appeared. "He tried to convince me to steal the forbidden scroll last night, so I played along and gave him a fake one that I bugged for tracking, but when he got it, he attacked me, thinking he could kill me easily. I killed him with a swift blow to the neck and waited until you came back in to work, right now, to bring this to you as it stopped being urgent. I found an activated memory destruction seal on him, so you probably can't get any info off him; sorry about that." By the end of his explanation, Minato had gotten up, dismissed the Anbu, and identified the body as Mizuki. He looked at Naruto, concerned, and asked, "Why didn't you say something about this? You could've been hurt, Naruto-kun."

His eyebrows nearly in the ceiling, Naruto looked at Minato as if he was crazy. "Have you READ my bingo book entry!?" Minato nodded but still looked at him like that. "Even the best of us can fall to stupid mistakes, Naruto. We're only human." Naruto shook his head. "YOU'RE only human. I became more than "only human" the moment you sealed a demon in my gut, and I've gone even farther since then. I don't even wanna count as human anymore; the only thing that keeps me as such is this body. Now, let's move on." Minato looked like he wanted to press the matter, but a quick, concentrated chakra burst from Naruto told him to drop it.

Getting back to his seat, he addressed Naruto. "Well, Naruto-kun, it seems as though you've completed a B-Rank mission, regardless of the circumstances. I believe you deserve recognition of such a mission, both monetarily and on your record. Thank you for your exceptional service." Minato smiled at Naruto who inclined his head respectfully, not really wanting to smile at the man. Minato sighed, seeing that he still wasn't on good terms with his son, but kept his resolve to continue trying.

After getting his pay, he went to his apartment, sitting in his bed for the first time since 9:59 the previous night, only to have to dodge one of Anko's flying tackles. Sighing, he asked, "Can't a guy get some peace in this Kami forsaken village?"

His answer came from not, not two, but three separate sources, and all three said the same thing. Smiling mischievously, Anko, Kurama, and Kogo all said, **"Never!"** before laughing at him, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of messing with him.

Sighing, he went into his kitchen to make himself breakfast, giving up on a relaxing session of meditation before the day's troubles. Grabbing some toast, he ate whilst continuing to entertain Anko. After he managed to finish, he made a clone outside his window which he then switched places with, leaving Anko to "play" with a clone.

Taking the long way, arrived at the yakuza headquarters, a nondescript building in the district. Having become Mujihi the moment he left, he walked in, being greeted by two guards he had posted at the door.

After nodding in recognition, he proceeded to make his way to the basement, entering a storeroom. Walking up to a wall, he placed his hand on it, channeling chakra into a seal he made on the wall. Security was his biggest priority, so it was undetectable to anyone but him, as he covered it with his own chakra AND nature chakra, creating a layer over the whole room's walls, blocking any dojutsu from seeing behind the wall or noticing anything wrong. Every person under him had a seal on them that doesn't allow them to rat out any secrets; he'd learned his lesson from Kiri. Nothing of grave importance was able to be accessed without his express permission and the ability to mold chakra, something he taught to his hand chosen officials. Obviously, he knew how to access everything. At that moment, he just felt the need to check on the impossibility of someone getting in there and messing with his products.

Thankfully, nothing was out of place, but he continued to take stock of the valuable items in his possession, not putting thievery past even his most trusted officials. He encountered one of his officials inside the safe as well, seemingly taking inventory.

He noticed Mujihi, so he turned and bowed. "Good morning, Mujihi-sama." Mujihi nodded at him, holding out his hand for the clipboard the man held. Receiving it, he quickly looked it over before looking at him with hard eyes. "Are you trying to rob me, Takeshi-san?" The man looked surprised before shaking his head. "I would never, Mujihi-sama."

Mujihi looked at him with hard eyes, feeling the truth of his words, making it all the worse. "I counted the crates of my new product, and, from what you counted, we have an extra 3 you didn't take down. If you weren't going to take them, then this is plain incompetence, and you know my policy for incompetence on the job, Takeshi-san. Once, you get a pass, as you're only human. Twice, pay docking and supervision for at least a month. Three times, demotion, if not outright TERMINATION. Do you know which one this would be, Takeshi?"

At the glowing Mujihi's eyes began doing, he gulped, but nodded. "Y-yes, sir. Th-the f-fourth time, s-sir." Mujihi nodded, smiling a little before continuing. At this point, he saw some opportunities to use the man's fear, opportunities he would take. "Good, you can count, at least. Now, didn't I tell you to work with a partner from then on?" He nodded timidly, thoroughly terrified of the thirteen year old. "Good, good. So your memory functions. Now..." Here, Mujihi began to glower at him, black flame-like energy flowing around him. "**Give me one good reason not to kill you where you stand!**"

In his head, Kurama and Kogo were laughing their ass off at the puddle of piss that formed beneath the man. He could barely breath, let alone provide a response, and all of them knew it.

Even with the man having pissed himself, he didn't let up. "**I have spared both your life and your job! I gave you back your position, thinking you'd become a responsible person! I even gave you a partner to work with, to MAKE SURE you'd do better! One who you were supposed to do EXACTLY what you fucked up on with, JUST SO YOU DIDN'T SCREW IT UP! Why shouldn't I kill you, right here, right now!?**" Inside his head, Kurama and Kogo had both long since cracked up, enjoying every moment of the man's suffering. The fact that he didn't intend to kill him made it all the sweeter, his fear being wholly misplaced. Fortunately, Mujihi had more than enough anger built up inside him to release a bit on the man and make it believable.

Takeshi, on the other hand, couldn't even think, the pure malice and anger covering washing over him almost shattering his mind. Mujihi then let up suddenly, making the strings of tension that held Takeshi up snap allowing him collapse into his own mess, grovelling. "G-gomenasai, Mujiji-sama! P-please don't kill me; I'll do anything!"

Mujihi smiled at him gently, doing such a total 180 that even Kogo was impressed. "Well, if you are sure you'd do anything, then become a test subject of mine. I need new people but I only want volunteers; no one should be forced into this. This is how I make the... specialized products and develop certain abilities. Don't worry, you won't be paid any less, and you'll get even more the more you participate. What do you say, Takeshi? This is the only job I have that you CAN'T mess up on, so if you say no, you have no more options."

Takeshi "knew" it was this or death, so he nodded, but had some questions. "Will I be able to see my family?" Mujihi smiled before answering. " Even better; they can move into my building, because that's where you'll be working. Don't worry; I refrain from killing my subjects or altering them beyond repair, so you'll have a happy life with your family, Takeshi. Now, follow me. We'll tell your family and select your replacement before noon."

He was so relieved he went to hug Mujihi, but hit an invisible wall. "We'll be getting you cleaned up first, Takeshi-san. Now, come along. I only have so much time in a day, unfortunately enough." By now, Mujihi's neutral face was back in place, but a spark of excitement was visible in his eyes, the prospect of another willing subject making him rather happy.

As he contacted the family of his recently transferred employee, the man right with him, he reflected on what he'd accomplished doing this; WHY he was doing it.

* * *

_Flashback no Jutsu!(A/N: First one in a while, actually)- 4 years prior_

* * *

_"Finally__! This chimera no jutsu is a finicky little shit." This came from Naruto, who'd, only a few weeks prior, discovered an abondoned lab with the chimera no jutsu and notes hidden within it. He'd been practicing on small animals ever since, making small additions like wings on a rat, arms on a pigeon, etc. All of his creations up until this point had died within a few hours of the change, though he'd studied them carefully during their remaining life span ever since._

_This creation, though, looked stable and had lasted 4 hours since the merge. He'd managed to get a bat and a rat merged together successfully, though he'd read up on each of their respective anatomies previously. Feeling accomplished, he turned away from his creation, creating a Seiei Bunshin to document it further before deciding what to do with it._

_Moving on to what he left another clone working on, and had been working on for months, he stopped next to him, staring down at the work he had layed out in front of him. "Update." Getting a nod from the clone, he prepared himself for a rundown of his most pressing project. "We already know the general cause for opiate addiction among our clients, boss; the morphine within them causing the rush of endorphins they can't get enough of. We stopped distributing heroin due to the serious drawbacks, but their are drawbacks to our alternatives as well. We've managed to lower the tolerance building a person experiences from the pure opium we've genetically modified, but we still need to get rid of the nausea and vomiting. We're having trouble with that, and our, ah, "subjects" have already built a pretty big tolerance, though we've kept off from making them addicted to the substance."_

_Noddind in understanding, Naruto sighed. Ever since he'd come back and seen a few overdoses on heroin and some of the other drugs he'd allowed the distribution of, he'd been trying to eliminate the destructive side-effects of the drug and reduce how addictive it is, just so people could actually STOP if they wished to. Progress had been slow, to say the least. "What's causing such slow progress, though? I doubt that systematically going through each alteration we could make would be so difficult; just test one on two, maybe three people." His clone shot him a look that said, "What do you think I've been doing?"_

_The clone then sighed, knowing that getting angry at his creator would only end poorly for him. "Well, it ACTUALLY takes a while to get this done, boss. I've administered a sample to a small group of them, then took down the effects, but the effects weren't uniform, and they weren't pleasant. THEN I give them a break, cause I can't overwork their bodies, but I have to get another set ready since I got nothing conclusive from the previous set. I feel like we just need MORE of them, boss. The sample set isn't large enough for me to draw any concrete conclusions, nor pinpoint what we need to change in the structure."_

_As of that moment, he only had vagrants and the homeless who were willing to do this job for the good pay and lack of work required. They didn't number too highly, as, despite having an abundance of space, he wasn't too comfortable with a large amount of people in his home. Sighing in reluctant acceptance, he resigned himself to getting subjects from his staff of underlings. Any who were willing, at least. _'These guys are either gonna jump at the chance or be so reluctant that they force me to pick a few out before any others accept.'_ He was desperately hoping for the former, as he didn't enjoy the feeling of forcing people into his experiments, regardless of the good cause they served; his time with Orochimaru ensured that much._

_Kurama butt in right there, curious as all hell. **'I have no clue where you get your morals, ningen.'** Naruto gave the equivalent of a mental shrug, not quite sure either. 'Anbu training stripped me of a lot of those because I wasn't really ready to cope with a lot of it, but I forced myself to. Combine that with a demoness in my head who didn't really have many and the occasional teacher TRYING to impart some on me, and you have this; the random bits of morality strewn about my actions.' Kogo's indignant **'Hey!'** served to at least brighten his oncoming bad mood._

_Bidding the clone to get back to work, promising more subjects by the end of the day, he turned into Mujihi and headed off to the yakuza headquarters, prepared to do what he must for the greater good of his consumers while still in the best interest of his wallet. Thankfully for him, their were a decent few of them willing to do it once he mentioned the level of pay. Ah, the power of human greed._

* * *

Flashback no Jutsu: Kai!(A/N: Made it short this time.)- Time-skip: 1:30 pm

* * *

A few hours after he got his newest subject to agree and got a few clones to help him with the moving process, he went back to being just Naruto and went to hell, uh, school. He'd intentionally arrived late because he knew who his sensei was, having sparred with him and spent enough unfortunate days at Minato's place to know him well. Kurama, the EVER logical one, asked a question that made him chuckle. **'Why didn't you tell your two little girlfriends?' **He's already gotten used to his insinuating that he was building a harem, as much as he'd deny it, not wanting that kind of connection with anyone. 'Now, why would I do that?' Stepping into the classroom, laughing lightly, he was met with the surprised gaze of Sai and Yakumo and the piercing glare of Surashi and Hinata, Surashi more so than Hinata. Sai and Yakumo's shock stemmed from the fact that he was laughing; they could count the times they'd heard him laugh with one hand and it was the first time it wasn't in a condescending way. It was a surprisingly happy but completely foreign sound to them.

Surashi, on the other hand, almost exploded when she saw him walk in laughing, Hinata not TOO far behind her. _'He KNEW!'_ Before she could say a thing, Hinata beat her to it. "You knew, didn't you!?" Their accusatory glares attempted to drill holes into Naruto, but he paid them no mind. Playing dumb, he asked, "Knew what? I'm surprised you're all still here; luckily our sensei is later than I am." Just as Surashi was about to call him on his bullshit, Kakashi stepped into the room. "Team Seven?" (A/N: He looks just like in the anime. Side note: Surashi is dressed like Sasuke with a shorter shirt that shows her stomach and a skirt with spats underneath.)

The four genin who'd been waiting patiently all tried to kill him with their eyes as they nodded stiffly. Naruto, on the other hand, just gave a lazy wave with a nod. "'Sup, Kakashi." He got a nod in his direction before Kakashi addressed them as a group. "Roof in 1 minute or you're going back to the academy." With that, he disappeared in a shunshin, appearing on the roof, only to find Naruto already there, a second or two ahead of him.

Kakashi sucked his teeth at that. "Still can't beat that technique of yours. You still haven't explained it to me, you know." With a light smirk, Naruto responded. "Might do it after a few missions. Might not. We'll see." As Kakashi was gonna complain in his normal fashion, all four of the others came up over the edge of the roof, having run up the side. "Oh, so you already know tree climbing? Makes my possible job easier." As he said that, he gestured to some seats in front of him, wishing for them to sit down.

Complying with his wishes, the four of them sat in front of the elite jonin, waiting for some kind of signal. When no one said anything for an awkward minute, Kakashi broke the silence. "Won't one of you begin introducing yourself? What's the academy teaching you kids nowadays." Surashi bristled at that, so she took the initiative and responded, but didn't introduce herself. "Isn't it good manners to introduce yourself first, Kakashi-sensei?" The smugness with which she said it was ignored as Kakashi thought for a moment. "Hm? I guess so; how rude of me. Well, my name is Kakashi Hatake. I'm an Elite Jonin of Konoha. I like somethings, I dislike others, and spend my time doing things you shouldn't be. My dreams for the future... hm, haven't thought about them. Now, your turn!" With an eye smile, as his face was covered, he waited for the genin to begin.

"Open as always, Kakashi." This came from Naruto, not in the least surprised at his introduction. "Well then, I'll begin. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I am Seiei Genin Sensei of Konoha, a recently made position. I like reading, among other things, I dislike certain things for reasons beyond your comprehension, and I take up my time doing whatever I feel like, anything from cooking or training. As for dreams in the future? Well, let's just say you'll know when they come to fruition." His introduction, which was only slightly more telling than Kakashi's, ended on an ominous note, none of his audience really knowing how to respond to it so they noted it for later.

Next Hinata began. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga. I am a Genin of Konoha and heiress to the Hyuuga clan. I like cinnamon buns and training with my friends and family. I dislike mean people. My hobbies are baking and training. My dreams for the future are to..." she paused here, unable to help glancing at Naruto. "To become strong enough to catch up to someone I admire." Kakashi nodded at her dream. "A fine dream, but your shooting for the stars there. Good luck. Next?"

Surashi decided to be the next one, speaking in her normal confident tone, though her dark demeanor stayed as she laced her fingers in front of her face. "I'm Surashi Uchiha, Genin of Konoha. I don't like much besides training-" Naruto coughed into his hand at that point, "subtly" saying "and cookies". After scowling at him, she continued, blushing slightly. "I dislike just about everything else. My hobbies are training. Dreams are for the sleeping, but my future goal is to become strong enough to find, and possibly kill the ones who murdered my clan."

Hinata and Naruto already knew of the goal, so they weren't surprised, and Kakashi was used to dark thoughts, so he just accepted this with a light note to keep an eye on her, but Yakumo were shocked. She'd never truly thought someone in their class would need such closure, and she'd definitely wouldn't have thought it was Surashi. _'It makes sense, though,'_ she thought to herself. Sai, out of everyone else, had the most visible reaction. He took out a book and took a record on what she said, documenting it, and taking the time to do so for the previous introductions as he saw fit.

Moving on, as Sai was still writing, Yakumo sighed as she began her intro. "I'm Yakumo Kurama, heiress to the Kurama clan and Genin of Konoha. My likes include painting and practicing genjutsu. I dislike overly stubborn people." At this, she looked directly at Surashi, who stared back, sparks almost literally flying between the two. "My hobbies are training, painting, practicing my genjutsu. My goals are to prove that I can be an effective kunoichi with genjutsu alone, as I don't have much in the way of taijutsu or ninjutsu, and to one day repay the person who made it possible for me to follow that dream." During the final part, her eyes darted over to Naruto, but he pointedly ignored them.

Sai was the final one, but he was still scribbling into his note pad, documenting things with fervor that began to get creepy. Kakashi had to clear his throat rather loudly to break the boy of it, gesturing for him to go. Speaking in his usual monotone, he began. "Name: Sai Shimura, Genin of Konoha. I'm fond of art and learning. I dislike interruptions. My hobbies are training with my special ninjutsu and painting." He finished his lackluster introduction in the same monotone he began in, even as he gave a small smile at the end.

Kakashi couldn't help but sigh as he closed his eyes to think. _'So, I've got a mysterious blonde, a raven haired future renegade, and I'm calling that one, a Hyuuga with a sweet tooth, and not one but TWO art nuts... fuck me. At least I have Naruto'. _Coming out of the mental regret he was feeling from accepting the job, he addressed the Genin in front of him. "Well, now that we all know each other better, we'll move on." Deciding to be blunt with them, as he wasn't feeling particularly nice, he said it. "I'm not your sensei yet, and you're not really Genin yet." None of them even reacted to that, all of them having sources from which they got information on the process.

Kakashi was mildly surprised, and rather happy that his possible future pupils already had enough sense to gather knowledge where possible. "Oh? No indignant shout of "What!?" or anything? Well, you seem to know already so I'll just skim over this part. We can't have just anyone joining the military force of Konoha. Strength isn't enough; you need to have satisfactory qualities beyond that, and it's your sensei's first job to evaluate if you're ready for this. Your first test will be a survival exercise tomorrow at training ground 7, which will be ours for our time together. Your first task from me is to find where it is within the next 20 minutes or you automatically fail what comes next." With that, he disappeared in a shunshin, presumably to the specified training ground.

Getting up and drawing the attention of the other genin, Naruto just said "Follow me." before jumping off the roof. With that, he began a light, for him, jog to training ground 7. All of his future teammates had to sprint all out to catch up to him, and even then had to run pretty hard to keep pace with him. By the time they got there, Yakumo looked like she was about to die and Sai and Hinata looked rather tired. Surashi, being the most physically fit out of them, was the least winded, and even she was breathing somewhat hard.

Naruto rolled his eyes at their states, but Kogo said something that made him pause. **'How about you lose your Uzumaki stamina, demon stamina, and our youki then run as fast as you were for that long, huh?'** He shrugged, confusing Kakashi, who was eyeing him, before he responded. 'Name the time and place. Been doing Anbu training since I was five; this is nothing compared to most of that shit.' Walking up to Kakashi, he asked, "How slow were we?"

He got an answer that made him slightly annoyed. "Took you 6 minutes." Sighing, he gestured behind him. "Had to lead them here. Sorry about that." Kakashi's visible eye told his story for him, but he said it anyway. "You could've just used that technique of yours..." Naruto just shook his head. "You and Minato can use it with me because you're already used to his Hiraishin, but they'd pass out in a pool of their own vomit at the level their at. It's not the most pleasant thing." Kakashi shrugged before addressing the group who (mostly)recovered while they conversed. "Okay, so you managed to get here in a lot under 20 minutes. Get here by 5 am tomorrow... Oh, and don't eat breakfast; you'll just lose it." With that piece of slightly unnerving advice for his prospective pupils.

Naruto turned to his teammates and asked, "Sooo... what do you guys wanna do? I don't have much I need to take care of myself, at the moment." Yakumo, who was still breathing a bit hard, was about to suggest painting, but she was cut off by Surashi. "I am not painting, Kurama." Yakumo pouted a bit before asking, "Why not?" Surashi just begin to walk away as she answered. "It's a waste of time that could be spent doing something productive, like training."

Naruto saw the animosity between the two and chose to deal with that now. "Surashi! Get back here!" He was normally rather laid back when he was speaking with his friends, so the fact that he was so forceful was enough to let her return with no resistance, albeit with a bit of grumbling. "Okay, I'm not gonna deal with this shit for as long as I'm on this team. If you two are gonna work together, you'll have to deal with whatever has you two so... displeased with one another."

Both of them looked at him like he was crazy, having never thought of settling their differences. Sighing, he asked Yakumo something. "What did she do to you?" Yakumo crossed her arms over her chest, looking a bit angry at the memory she was going through. "She said my dream was pointless, that I'd never make it with just my genjutsu." Naruto nodded, completely understanding what she meant. Looking at Surashi, he asked her the same question. Her answer made sense to him, if only just because it was her. "She insulted the Uchiha clan AND my Sharingan!"

Nodding as he thought about what to do, he looked over to see Sai observing with his notepad out and Hinata looking on, slightly worried that a fight might break out among her friends. Sighing, he stepped back and looked at Yakumo and Surashi. Focusing on Yakumo first, he began. "Yakumo, she's right. You CAN'T make it with just genjutsu, even as good as yours is. What if you face someone like me, who's IMMUNE to genjutsu. There are AT LEAST 8, no, 9 more out there who are like me, you know." He had to recount because of his friend Sora in the fire temple. "This doesn't even account for dojutsu users like Hinata and Surashi, who can probably see through any illusions. You need to learn at least some ninjutsu if you want to be prepared for anything. And there's a minimum fitness you should be at for each state in your shinobi career, so taijutsu shouldn't be abysmal either. It's fine to be a specialist, but you still need the other areas unless you physically CAN'T use them. " At the end, she looked down, a bit depressed, but he could only think of the spandex wearing duo he'd encountered when talking with Kakashi in the past year. _'I hope she doesn't turn out like THAT.'_

He shook his head of his thoughts before moving on to Surashi, who was smirking slightly. "Now YOU, little lady, have nothing to be smirking at. If she insulted your clan, just show her how great they are. It was that simple, you know! As for insulting your Sharingan, well, I already showed you situation where it's utterly useless, haven't I? Having pride in your clan is fine, but don't let it rule you to that degree. And your dojutsu is just a tool; I don;t know how long both I and your mother have been telling you this. If someone insulted a sword you owned, wouldn't the easiest thing to do be showing them how easily it could cut them? Same thing here." Shaking his head at her, he brought both of them into focus, ignoring the furiously scribbling Sai in the background. "I've done what I can for now. It's up to the two of you to deal with this, because I don't want a dysfunctional pair on any team I'm in. Get it together."

No longer in the mood to get to know his team in their current state, he just went home.

* * *

5 am The Next Day

* * *

Walking into the training area, Surashi found Sai and Yakumo already there, both comparing artwork. Shaking her head, she looked around to find Hinata but found nothing to show she had been in the clearing at any point that morning. Shrugging, she sat down in a tree after giving her grunt of a greeting to Yakumo and Sai. Closing her eyes, she resigned to rest until it was time for whatever their future sensei had planned for them.

An hour later, Surashi suddenly woke up from the nap she accidentally took. Looking around drowsily, she spotted Naruto walking in with Hinata, or at least she thought it was Hinata. Her face matched Hinata's, so did her skin tone, posture, and everything else. Everything BUT the lack of her jacket. Instead, she had a mesh shirt that was visible from the top of her black t-shirt. It's sleeves were also visible from the edges of the t-shirt's, but the bottom of the t-shirt flowed downward far enough to cover it.

Blinking a few times to make sure what she saw wasn't a hallucination, even rubbing her eyes to make sure they were clear, she couldn't help but laugh a bit, waking Yakumo who was also napping a, drawing Sai's attention to Hinata, and embarrassing Hinata. Well, further embarrassing her, as her face already had a light dusting of pink when she walked into the clearing.

Naruto smirked at the fact that Hinata kept glancing at her jacket, held firmly in the hand he kept separated from her by his body. Addressing Yakumo, Sai, and Surashi, he explained the change, as she didn't seem to talkative at that moment. "If you're wondering, I had to spend almost two hours convincing her to get it off. Don't ask what I had to do, 'cause you'll never find out." He added the last part as he saw they were about to ask how the hell he managed to get her out of the jacket she hadn't parted with for over two years.

Letting his smirk fade, he felt that Kakashi's chakra was only a couple away, falling behind the treeline in the distance. "Oi, Kakashi! Stop making them wait already!" After a few seconds of no response, he began to walk towards the man in a lightly threatening manner. "I already know you're watching, Kakashi." As the man walked out from the bushes, porn in hand, he eye-smiled somewhat nervously. "Hi?" Naruto sighed, but then noticed the book in the man's hand and gave him a bit of leeway.

"Okay, I know you wanted to read the next installment, but so help me god, if you're more than a half hour late for another meeting, I'll spoil the hell out of every chapter of the series that comes out for the rest of its run." Kakashi looked horrified before a look of defiance came over his... eyes... eye. "You wouldn't dare." Smiling maliciously, Naruto began anew. "I've already finished that one. Luciel's love triangle with Chinatsu and Daichi gets out into the open, causing-" Kakashi hit him square in the face, his eyes hardening to the point where Naruto thought he'd crossed an ACTUAL line with that.

Shaking his head, he told Kakashi, "I was serious." before gesturing to the others as he turned around and headed their way. Following the child warily, he made his way to his students. When he finally was able to suppress his oncoming fear and/or hate for Naruto, he addressed them. "Glad you made it. Hope you took my advice and didn't eat breakfast, because we're beginning." He noticed they were all full and ready to take him on, making him have to suppress a smile. _'They're not stupid. I may not have the hardest job ever, then.'_

Reaching around behind him, making 3 of his 5 students tense slightly(Not being sexist, but it's the girls). Making a show of it, he slowly brought his hands out, showing three bells. Explaining despite the relieved and somewhat disappointed looks on three of his student's faces, he began again. "In case you couldn't tell, these are bells." Their deadpan stare was ignored by him. "In order to pass, you must get one off of me and keep it until the end of the test, which will be noon." Sai, Yakumo, Surashi, and Hinata all glanced at each other nervously, completely understanding what was said. Two of them wouldn't pass.

Naruto just cracked his knuckles and smiled somewhat threateningly. _'This may be a test of teamwork, but I wanna beat his face in on my own. I'll just take them then be "selfless" and give them to three of the others.'_ His plan set, he began stretching as he waited for Kakashi to begin the test.

Seeing his students get it, he nodded before hanging the bells outside of his ninja pouch and saying, "We will begin on my mark. Make sure you come at me with the intent to kill, or you won't even come close... HAJIME!" With that, all of them scattered to the trees, each of them finding a different hiding spot. All of them except Naruto. Looking around at each of their locations, Naruto commented, "Not bad. Mid-chunin level at best, but not bad. Now," he said, turning to Kakashi, "how about we do this. No holding back because of the kiddies, Kakashi. You'll die, otherwise." Kakashi nodded, doubting Naruto would try too hard with an audience. Neither intended to truly go all out, as they had to keep some secrets. 50% at most.

With that said, Naruto released most of his physical training seals, both gravity and resistance, and blurred in front of Kakashi, sending a thunderous hit to his abdomen and him flying into a tree. Getting up, Kakashi tucked the bells into his pouch fully before reaching up to his headband and pulling it up, revealing a single Sharingan eye. In the bushes, both Surashi and Hinata, both of which had their respective dojutsu on to observe the fight. With the sharpened sight granted, they noticed it was a fully matured Sharingan, all three tomoe spinning hypnotically, only further showing his mastery as the hypnotic affect wasn't seemingly a conscious decision he made.

Back with Naruto and Kakashi, Kakashi rushed Naruto with speed befitting an elite jonin, meaning he was as almost invisible blur to Sai and Yakumo, and not too much better for Hinata. The only one who could really see him, besides Naruto, was Surashi, her Sharingan specifically made to track movements, and even then he was moving at an incredible speed in her eyes. Naruto took it like a champ, bending backwards under the swing Kakashi sent. Letting himself fall to the ground, he caught himself on his hands and thrust up, nearly hitting Kakashi in the face with both his feet.

Dodging skillfully by wrenching his upper body to the side, he grabbed the boys outstretched feet and sent him into the same tree he was in before. Naruto landed with his feet on the trunk, looking at Kakashi with an excited look on his face. As he crouched to spring back at Kakashi, the man he was still staring at popped out of the ground right below him, nailing Naruto in the face with a knee and knocking him upright before grabbing his leg, which was floating in front of his face from the force of his knee strike, and slammed him into the ground.

Keeping his grip on the boy, he disintegrated into raiton chakra, electrocuting Naruto. Above him, Kakashi blurred into being, leg dropping his body. As he got up, he noticed nothing in the crater he made with his strike, to the relief of all of his onlookers. Turning around as quickly as he could, a panicked look on his face, he wasn't fast to stop Naruto from bringing down both fists on his head from midair, knocking him face first into his own crater and making it deeper.

As Naruto landed, he back-flipped away from Kakashi's position, thinking he had something planned. Stopping a few yards away, he saw Kakashi groggily getting up from the crater, extracting his face from the not so comfortable pillow the ground became for him. As he got up, Naruto smirked and said, "An eye for an eye, Kakashi." While a normal person may have thought he just meant the thunderous strike he just endured, Kakashi was no normal person, and he knew Naruto far too well. Trying to jump away from the small crater, he was too late to escape the blast radius of a raiton chakra explosion coming from a tag Naruto left where he was planted into the ground by his clone.

His muscles seizing up, he was helpless to stop the knee that impacted with his jaw, the sheer speed Naruto was travelling making it all the more painful. Smiling maliciously, Naruto released a barrage on Kakashi that he'd only felt when he and Gai sparred all out. The hits felt like they were anvils shot out of a high powered canon into his body, moving at least twice as fast. Finally managing to regain control of his muscles, he used his root training to ignore as much of the pain as possible and grab Naruto's fists mid-punch, almost breaking his hands in the process. Pulling them apart, he headbutt the shorter Naruto, sending him reeling back. While he could've attacked, he retreated to a branch in the trees to let his body recuperate from the beating it just took. Unable to stop his hands shaking in the very limited time he knew he had, he had to open the gate of healing, speeding up his body's healing factor enough to fight again. By this point, Kakashi was panting slightly, so he popped a soldier pill and prepared to counter Naruto's response to his retreat.

And respond he did. Clasping his hands together, he concentrated before pointing them in Kakashi's direction. Waiting to see if he'd jump out, but feeling him open the gate of healing instead, he folded his middle finger on each hand over his index and said, out loud for once, "Kyofu (Gale Force Wind)." From his hands, a spiral of wind began to spin very rapidly, pushing the grass around him flat and bending a few trees that were nearest to him on the forest edge. Releasing it, the winds tore through trees and rocks, kicking up dust and ripping foliage out of the ground. Kakashi was very quick to vacate the area he was in the moment he felt the winds getting stronger, signifying whatever Naruto was doing was getting closer.

As he turned around to survey the damage, he had a much more controlled version of his other students reactions. Meaning his jaw only dropped while their's hit the ground. Through the dust that was kicked up he saw, where he was hiding previously, that it looked like a tornado decided to go horizontal, ripping through the area and throwing things around like it was nothing, trees and rocks still landing around them. A shadow developed above him, so he dove to the side, narrowly dodging a tree. Another formed above him, but her was tired of the, as he called it, "Naruto BS", so he activated his Raikiri after a few hand-seals and cut clean through the boulder that was above him. Crossing his hands, he let the lightning spread to his other hand as well, dual wielding his creation.

Looking around for Naruto in the settling dust cloud, he quickly saw a mass of chakra speeding towards him at Gai speeds, so he stuck out a hand, impaling Naruto on his arm. Both of them heard a scream that came from Hinata, but ignored it and continued their fight; both knew full well that Naruto was no where near done. Throwing him off his arm to prevent an immediate retaliation, Kakashi didn't notice Naruto's hand reach inside his pouch, grabbing onto the bells. Unaware that the target of the test was now in his possession, he thrust both of his hands out towards the regenerating jinchuriki, shouting, "Raiju Hashiri no Jutsu: So Kairiudo (Lightning Beast Running Technique: Twin Hunters)!" Two wolves made of lightning shot out of his hands, zigzagging towards Naruto at amazing speeds.

He took of, leading them in circles, trying to lose them and failing. He then tried to make them run into one another but they just passed through each other with no cancelling, shocking Naruto at how well thought out the technique was. Unfortunately, he couldn't do too many fancy maneuvers to shake them, the hole in his abdomen still closing at that point; even running like he was was causing a rather large amount of pain, though it was nowhere near enough for him to stop moving.

Running out of ideas, he turned around and ran down the middle of his two pursuers, making them turn to follow. Running along the lines that trailed behind the raiton constructs, he used them to trace Kakashi, who went into hiding while directing his technique due it making him an easy target; his own radar technique wasn't working properly due to the hole in his stomach draining his chakra in uneven amounts to heal, messing his control up a bit.

Feeling Naruto nearing him, Kakashi urged the beasts to go faster, slowly closing the gap with the high speed jinchuriki. _'Speed is MY thing, Kakashi!'_ With that thought, Naruto ignored the pain the hole in his abdomen was causing him and called out his youki, as he'd refrained from using it the whole fight.

He regained use of his radar and the hole began to close much quicker, muscle stitching itself together visibly, easy to see for any who got a good angle, such as Hinata. The dust had long since settled, and Surashi and Hinata decided they'd sat around long enough, though Sai and Yakumo were content to watch the awesome match. Both jumped out, looking at each other for an instant, an unspoken truce forming. Surashi landed and went through hand seals, ending with tora. Puffing out her chest, she said, as she spewed flames into the air, "Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu(Fire Style: Dragon Flame Technique)!" Hinata, who was still airborne, pinpointed Kakashi with her Byakugan before shouting, "Hakke Kusho(Eight Trigrams Air Palm)!" The flames were caught up in the air bullet, flying at Kakashi with tremendous speed, dragging the scorching hot flames with it. Trees caught ablaze all around Kakashi as he jumped away from the area, inadvertently releasing the technique Naruto was attempting to lead back to him and saving his own hide.

Cursing, Naruto looked at the girls with a mix of pride, as he helped train both of them, and annoyance, as they stopped a possibly battle ending maneuver. Sighing, he located Kakashi right outside the treeline of the burning area of foliage and chose to end it right there. Building up chakra, he shouted, catching everyone's attention, "SUITON: BAKUSUISHOHA(Water Style: Exploding Water Shock-wave)!" A clone of his appeared near each of his teammates and grabbed them, pulling them out of harm's way.

Kakashi was another matter. He was tossed around and battered by the waves that were puled from thin air. Trees and rocks slammed into him underwater and the current was to strong to swim in or even get to the top. Just when he thought he'd pass out from a lack of air, his head popped up above the surface as he was pinned against one of the thicker trees. Still taking a beating from the water, he retreated into his mind to limit the wear and tear on his psyche from the constant bombardment of pain.

Naruto, on the other hand, finished up, seeing as he'd managed to win. Letting up on the jutsu, he went to Kakashi's location with his method of travel(A/N: Which will be explained eventually.), retrieving the currently unconscious Jonin. When he got back, he found his team waiting for him with an awestruck expression on each of the girl's faces, and even the normally stone-faced Sai gave him a slightly reverent look. They were accompanied by Minato, Kushina, and Anko, all of which gave him an approving look. Anko acted first, tackling him in a hug that made him drop Kakashi, who he had over his shoulder. Minato caught him, but laid him on the floor to rest after what just transpired.

Back with Naruto, Anko was squeezing the crap out of him, much to the amusement of ALMOST everyone else. "That was so AWESOME, Naruto-kun!" He was beginning to suffocate in the embrace of her breasts, though it wasn't the most unpleasant way to go Fortunately for him, he didn't need much air, so he let himself enjoy it. Kurama made sure he acknowledged it, too. **'For a guy NOT making a harem, you get this a lot... I guess this is your reward for the fight, though. To the victor go the spoils, and all that other shit. I say you take her, this time.'** He would've told him to shut up if he wasn't enjoying himself at that moment. Unfortunately, he could feel the negative emotions rolling off Hinata, growing strong enough that he thought he was sensing another Kurama, so he extracted his head, both thankful for air and reluctant to leave the embrace, a mixture that was plain to see on his face.

A little while later, Kakashi woke up in the clearing, sputtering and coughing up some water from his previous underwater endeavors. Glaring up at Naruto, who he noticed first out of his students standing in a loose circle around him, he got up on shaky legs. Looking over to Minato after giving Naruto another glare, he said, "They pass, Minato-sensei." With that said, he fell face first into the ground.

* * *

A/N: And that's a wrap. If you're wondering about the team configuration, well, Naruto is pretty much a jonin already, and Minato knows this, so any team with him on it would have two jonin. It makes sense that they'd get more genin. Besides that, I have another story going right now, so I'll be alternating between the two of these stories for updates, which will be rather common in upcoming weeks. School year is almost over, so I just need to survive my exams and I'll be set to type to my heart's content. Until then, updates will be, oh, weekly? Maybe every other week. Not quite sure yet. Anyway, I think I'll just get to the harem.

(**Bold=Confirmed**, _Italics=Probable_, Normal=Possible)

**Kogo(Fem Kyuubi)**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

**Fem Sasuke**

**Fem Gaara**

**Fem Hidan**

**Yugito**

**Anko(She managed enough votes)**

_Shizuka: 1_

_Tayuya: 1_

_Temari: 2_

_Tenten: 2_

_Shion: 3_

_Matatabi(Nibi): 4_

_Mei: 1(Got a vote for her)_

Fem Kakashi: 1

Now, I gotta ask that you guys give your vote in the more recent chapters, if only so I can go by chapter in the reviews to tally. It's not too hard as it is, since the reviews go by most recent anyway, but I wanna keep the votes current. That's about it guys(and gals) of the internet. I shall see(?) you guys next time. Time to go study for my finals... fuck.


	9. Watery Reunions

A/N: Back once more with another helping of Naruto goodness. Now, before I really begin this chapter, I gotta say sorry for the mistakes I had past chapter. I reread it, not as a writer but as a reader, and there were mistakes that annoyed me to no end, like forgetting a word here, not putting a comma there, you know. Not sure how many of you really noticed it, but I did, and it's annoying as all hell. Well, onto the actual chapter, which I will try to NOT fuck up. So far, I haven't had to hit the backspace button yet, so I'm going pretty well.

* * *

Kage Bunshin \- Jutsu (I think I'll start using this for dramatic effect, if only a bit.)

**I will destroy you and everything you hold dear.** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech/thought.

_Do angels go back to heaven when they die? _\- Thought/Flashback stuff.

OH MY FUCKING GOD - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication (which is present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

* * *

It'd been a few days since Kakashi got his ass beaten by a genin, though it'd happened before. He'd rested up before actually beginning to teach them, as fighting with Naruto always tired him out, being forced to use his Sharingan and the two strongest versions he had of his original creation, the raikiri. One could find team 7 in their training area, each waiting for Kakashi in their own way. Sai was drawing, Surashi was standing upside down on a branch, trying to get as accustomed to it as possible, Hinata was going through some katas for the jyuuken, Yakumo was painting, and Naruto was meditating, though none of them even knew he was there, as he was sitting on top of a tree. Naruto had felt Kakashi ARRIVE in the area a while back, but the man was content to observe his students before teaching them for the first time, and Naruto was fine with letting him.

After another half hour of this, Surashi broke. Yakumo broke. "WHERE ARE THEY!?" Surashi nodded, ready to go on a manhunt for him, coming back with Kakashi's head on a stake and Naruto hogtied. Naruto jumped down from his tree at that point, not wanting things to get out of hand. "I've been here the whole time. I've just been waiting for Kakashi." It was a little lie on his part, as he'd come in an hour later than the original time of 6 am.

At that moment, Kakashi came in as well. "I didn't know you were here, Naruto. I was waiting for you to arrive." They looked at each other before shrugging, completely fine with using the other as an excuse. Kakashi then looked at his other students, contemplating how to start this off. "You'll have to forgive me; I'm accustomed to working with ANBU, who already know how to train themselves for the most part, so I'm not the best ass teaching newbies." He looked to Naruto for a bit of help but got a shrug. "I started off with ANBU training, so don't look at me. I can probably teach just as well as you. Nah, I'm probably better, 'cause your old." Naruto brushed off the look he got from his teammates when he mentioned that he STARTED at ANBU training.

Kakashi's eye twitched at that. "I'm only 26, Naruto." He nodded. "That's DOUBLE my age." Since that couldn't really be disputed, Kakashi sighed. "Screw it. We'll focus on building each of you up physically until you're fast enough to match a chunin. I want to see what I'm working with here, so I want each of you to take a sprinting lap around... uh, Naruto? If you would?" Naruto rolled his eyes before waving his hands, causing a series of pairs of stone poles to rise from the ground. A large pond/ small lake then formed in the middle to prevent anyone from cutting corners; only Hinata actually knew the water walking technique. In total, the course was about 1/10 of a mile, something a SHINOBI should easily be able to sprint. "That outlines that track."

Kakashi nodded in thanks to the boy before turning back to his students. "Okay, I want you to sprint a lap around this course, which I will time. No chakra." At each of their nods, Kakashi produced a stopwatch from his pouch, having thought to bring supplies like that with him. Hinata went first, racing around the track. She managed to finish in 18 seconds, not bad for a 13 year old kunoichi. Surashi did the same, coming in at 18 seconds, Sai did it in about 20 seconds, and Yakumo did so in 22, making her come in last.

Looking to Naruto, Kakashi asked, "Do you wanna show them how fast a taijutsu specializing jonin could run it? Or should I?" They both employed the use of training seals, though Naruto had a lot more than Kakashi, so both could match a normal, jonin level taijutsu specialist in speed and strength. Naruto shrugged and got on the track. He didn't take a starting position or anything, just stood there, waiting for Kakashi to say go. When he got his cue, he released two levels of his seals, just so it would be easier, and blurred around the track.

When he reappeared, Kakashi hit his stop watch and said, "7 seconds." Turning to his student, he eye-smiled at their shocked looks. "I don't expect any of you to be at this level, as that's a goal more fitted to an aspiring chunin, but you get the gist, yeah? You need to become faster if you wanna survive in this world. No point in being excessively strong if you can't land a hit." Naruto nodded, cementing his words. Kakashi then told them to hold out their arms and close their eyes.

He glanced at Naruto once they did so, making him roll his eyes, already figuring that Kakashi would start like this. Naruto snapped his fingers and said, "Brace yourselves." Extremely dense metal bracelets appeared around each of their wrists, and even their ankles, immobilizing them, and, in Yakumo's case, almost knocking her to the floor. Kakashi resumed as they tried to stand straight once more. "Your first goal will be to run 5 laps with those weights on. By the end of today, you'll finish a lap in under 30 seconds or you'll get more the next time we do this. We'll be doing this until noon, and whether you get it or not, we'll be stopping then for a lunch break. Get to it."

With that, they ran, well, shuffled onto the track. Naruto made clones, which then made stop watches, to watch each of them for Kakashi. Kakashi looked at Naruto in a bit of surprise. "Thanks. How much did you give each of them?" Naruto smirked as he watched them struggle around the track. "Hinata got 15 pounds on each limb, Surashi got 20 per limb, as did Sai, and Yakumo got 10 for each. I know each of them well enough to say that it'll be challenging but doable for each of them." Kakashi nodded, looking at the sun for a moment before turning back to Naruto. "You can go train for a bit. He have another 3-4 hours until noon. I'll come get you when it's time; just don't go too far."

Naruto nodded and headed off into the woods, making sure he was far enough away that no one would see him. "Okay, time to train." He willed his upper body clothes to dissipate into chakra before getting down into a push up position. "1..." At that, he went down before making a rock appear on his back. "2..." The rock got a bit bigger at that point. "3..." Then it got bigger. Things went on like this for the next 2 and a half hours, Naruto doing a push up before increasing it's size.

By the time Kakashi came to get him, his students in tow, he was doing push ups with a boulder that easily dwarfed his size on his back. He'd released many of his physical seals by this point, but he still had a few more he could go past. Kakashi cleared his throat to get the boy's attention, not perturbed by it in the slightest as he'd trained with Gai. His students, on the other hand, had their jaws on the floor, already exhausted from their previous exertions and unable to really comprehend how he could lift that. Even Sai showed his complete and utter shock, and normally his surprise never went past a widened eye. Surashi and Hinata activated their dojutsu while Sai and Yakumo tried to cancel the genjutsu they thought were in, but Sai and Yakumo found nothing while Surashi and Hinata found something that they shared with the group, further increasing what they were feeling.

"H-he's not using chakra..." Yakumo almost passed out right there. They all knew Naruto had a massive amount of chakra, so it was plausible he could lift that with his enormous reserves of chakra, but WITHOUT chakra was something somewhat incomprehensible, even in a world where people threw fireballs and ran on water.

Getting up, and throwing the boulder off his back, Naruto asked, "Time?" At Kakashi's nod, he sighed. "I didn't get to finish, but fine." He punched the boulder, causing it to crumble under his advanced strength, before walking over to them, water flowing over him to wash off he thin layer of sweat before he channeled some katon chakra to his skin, evaporating the water. He left some in his hair, enjoying the feeling.

As he evaporated the water, he began walking towards his teammates, giving them a free look at his chiseled chest and abdominal regions. Everything looked so compact, yet they moved with grace and power that made Hinata feel a little hot, and it wasn't from the katon chakra. Naruto noticed as Hinata looked away, calming herself in her normal manner. Kurama cackled in his head. **'It's always the quiet ones! Ha! You better get with that at LEAST once, ningen! No clue what she'd be into, though.' **Kurama's thoughts on the matter were echo'ed by Kogo, who added her own comment. **'Who knows? She might be into some crazy shit, Naruto-kun.'**

He rolled his eyes before responding. 'She's thirteen.' Kurama gave him a look that said he didn't care, but then remembered that Naruto couldn't see him. **'Do those tits LOOK like they belong on a thirteen year old?'** Naruto just responded with a 'Touché' before making a shirt appear on him, saving Hinata the embarrassment.

His clones filled him in at that point by dispelling from their positions.(A/N: He wasn't paying attention with his radar technique so he only had a vague idea of what had happened.) Kakashi then told him of his plan, letting him take over after they got lunch.

An hour later, Naruto was standing in front of them, arms crossed over his chest as he really focused on identifying the key components in their chakra. _'Okay, so both Sai has a strong water with a minor wind affinity and potency above the level of the average chunin, probably due to his time in root. Yakumo also has a water and wind, but hers are about balanced. Her chakra potency is rather high, maybe even jonin level, but I'll attribute that to her Ido demon that I forced the assimilation of. Hinata has a strong... water affinity. THE FUCK!'_

He sighed out loud, making them think something was wrong. Holding up a hand to stem the incoming questions, he left them in their tense silence for a while longer while he finished analyzing their specific chakra. _'Not sure how 75% of these guys get water, but oh well. Where was I... ah, her potency seems to be pretty strong, decent chunin level. Probably due to practicing the jyuuken. Now, Surashi has lightning AND fire, but the fire feels like it was developed. Odd. Her potency is almost jonin level, but that's probably from the fact that she trained hard enough to develop a flipping affinity. Jeez.'_

Nodding to himself, his analysis of them complete, he opened his eyes. "Well, since Kakashi seems to wanna focus on your physical state, I'l be taking over your training in the use of chakra. Remember what they taught you about chakra in the academy?" They nodded. "Well, don't be surprised if I teach you things that break the "rules" of chakra. But I have my own rules for teaching you." He put up a finger and began to circle them like a predator. "Rule number 1: while I'm teaching, I am NOT you're teammate; you will refer to me as Naruto-sensei, or just sensei, if you wish." He put up another finger here. "Rule number 2: You follow my orders to the letter. If I say jump, you don't even ask how high, you just jump as high as you fucking can." He stopped in front of them, holding up three fingers and releasing some of his chakra to intimidate them. It worked. "Rule number 3: anyone who breaks either of the previous rules has to spar with me, 1 v 1." They each shivered, both at the feeling of his ocean of chakra and the memory of how easily he shattered the boulder earlier. At their hasty nods, he nodded as well. "Good. We'll begin the first lesson with a bit of chakra theory. Something they didn't teach us in the academy was the concept of chakra potency..."

* * *

3 Weeks Later

* * *

Team 7 had fallen into a ritual of training and missions after that. They'd do a mission or two before Kakashi tormented them physically, then, on the next day, they'd do some missions before Naruto almost burned out their chakra coils. As stressful as it was, they grew in leaps and bounds, learning things that most jonin didn't even think existed. They could use a metaphorical drop of chakra on something that would take a normal genin a good chunk of their reserves. They could each at least keep up with a chunin, almost a jonin in Surashi's case, though she NEEDED her Sharingan.

Another thing was Surashi's Sharingan: It was fully matured. Having trained with someone like Naruto, who didn't enjoy pulling punches, she finished developing it REAL quick, if only to save herself a few bruises. Hinata increased her byakugan range to a kilometer at that point, which was extraordinary for someone so young. Yakumo could actually keep Naruto locked in her genjutsu long enough to attack him with it, though it drained her to even come close to affecting his chakra. And Sai, well, he may as well have been creating life with his techniques.

Walking up to Minato, Kakashi looked at his students. "Hm. Do you think they're ready for a C-Rank mission, Minato-sensei?" Minato looked at his student with an expression that said "Really!?" before responding. "You were capable of it from nearly the beginning Kakashi. I don't know why you waited so long." He shrugged. "I wanted them to get used to the smaller parts of shinobi life first." Minato had no real reason why he shouldn't have done that, so he just moved on.

"Well, I have-" He was cut off by Naruto, who said something that shocked them all. "I wish to not participate in this mission, Hokage-sama." Minato, being the Hokage, recovered first and asked why. "I'm a target, Minato. If I'm spotted with them, bounty hunters will think that they have a chance if they kidnap one of them, or something. Sure, I could handle it, but there is at least one S-Rank bounty hunter I know of that would be interested in me, and a couple others that just want me. I'll only go if they NEED back up. I'm more suited to a solo mission anyway. They've trained with each other AGAINST me, mainly, while I've only taught them. The team dynamics would be upset if I just jumped in." Having said his piece, he fell silent, waiting for Minato to respond.

"W-well, don't you want to be a part of your team's first C-Rank mission?" He scoffed, slightly hurting Yakumo and Hinata's feelings. "I've completed tasks that would qualify as an A-Rank mission on my own. Besides, they'll do just fine; I did train them after all." Kakashi's "Ahem!" was ignored, making him sulk slightly.

Minato couldn't find much reason to force him to go when he was a possible danger to his team, so he just relented to Naruto's will. "Fine. But you WILL be going on some missions with your team." Naruto nodded, finding the deal fair.(Team 7 minus Naruto then got the Nami no Kuni mission, but he leered at Hinata, which made Surashi almost burn him to a crisp.)

5 minutes later, Naruto stood in front of Minato's desk, staring him down. "I think you know what I actually want, Minato-sama." He sighed, having an inkling as to his wants but wishing to confirm. "You want your own mission, right?"

Naruto nodded, glad the village's kage wasn't dumb. "B-rank at least. You know I'm not dealing with this C-rank bull. Nothing but a waste of my fucking time." He grumbled the last bit to himself, but Minato heard him clearly.

Sighing, Minato looked through some scrolls for a mission that he was comfortable sending his "son" on. There weren't really any that he liked, but he found one that caught his eye. It only brought Naruto a few hours away from the village and let him do what he wished, perfect, as far as Minato was concerned.

Tossing him the scroll, he gave Naruto a bit of info as Naruto began to read the scroll. "Your mission is to-" Naruto cut him off. "I already finished the scroll. While this is barely a B-Rank mission, I must thank you for this mission in particular; I have a score to settle with the "Kurosuki" family." With that dark look on his face, he turned around slowly, going to the door with one thought on his mind. _'I swear, if that Raiga bastard hurt her...'_ Kurenai and her team came in at that point, Kurenai requesting something called a hunt. Minato looked at her students with a bit of pity before going through the missions.

A thought struck him, making him call Naruto, who'd only exited the room recently, back with a shout. "You'll be sharing that mission with Team Kurenai, Naruto. It is only a B-Rank mission for the chance of some of them having shinobi training, but you and Kurenai can take care of them. They are going on a "hunt", Naruto." Naruto shook his head, not wanting to share his mission and quickly thinking up reasons to deter Minato from the path. "This isn't just a B-Rank mission. I want to go on it because I know these people; they're ruthless. I recently got some information on them as well, and their current leader is the Kirigakure no Raijin(Thunder of the Hidden Mist), Raiga Kurosuki, who just renamed them to this because of his vanity. Also, he currently wields the Kiba blades and was a former full-fledged member of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shu(Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist), wielding my friends blades, so this is personal. Give them another mission."

When Minato was about to argue it, Naruto cut him off with even more reasoning. "He's probably trained a few of his followers in some ninja arts as well, so this isn't the place for these guys-" At this, he gestured to Kurenai's team, making them sigh slightly in relief. "-to get their feet wet. Give them a normal bandit hunting mission." Minato shook his head. "That makes it worse. I'm sending someone else in with you, along with these guys. They can handle the bandits, but I'm not leaving you to face multiple enemies with shinobi training alone." Naruto opened his mouth, but this time, MInato was the one to cut him off. "I have read it, Naruto. I won't send you in like that if I don't need to. Kushina will probably want to go, so wait for a bit." Naruto didn't want to commit treason and just go, like he wanted, so he bit his tongue while Minato went off to get his wife.

There was a slightly awkward silence between Team Kurenai and Naruto at that point, even though they knew each other. Naruto looked at them, a bit peeved at how things turned out, but eventually sighed, knowing it wasn't their fault. He had been leaking a bit of killing intent, putting the genin on edge and making Kurenai a bit worried, but when he stopped, they relaxed somewhat. Addressing them, Naruto closed his eyes. "Sorry about that; I know you aren't to blame. Well, consider that a taste of what a shinobi who is good at their main function can instill in weaker beings with just their presence. It's called killer intent. The faster you get over this, the better you'll do in real shinobi combat. Bandits probably won't have much of that, though, so stay calm and it'll be fine."

With his part said, he waited for Minato to get Kushina and return, Sakura squirming in place, wanting to ask him a question but losing her nerve whenever she looked at him. Kiba conversed with Akamaru quietly, by his standards, Shino stood patiently, and Kurenai observed Naruto carefully. Kurenai looked at Naruto with something akin to caution, but she didn't fear him.

Having had enough of being stared at, something he REALLY didn't like, if he could help it, he asked Kurenai what she wanted, not even bothering to open his eyes and resolving to go after Sakura after. "Well, I don't know how you fight. What do you specialize in, what can you do, anything!" He chuckled at that, opening his eyes to show them being purple and slit. "You don't need to know this, but I'll enlighten you, if it makes you feel better. My specialties are stealth and... killing. Anyway you can think of ending someone's life, I've probably done it at least once, and then some." The genin shivered, even Shino visibly disturbed by his response, if only a little.

This apparently gave Sakura the courage she needed to ask whatever it was she had wanted to. "U-um, Naruto-san, w-what's it like? You know, to k-kill someone." Naruto didn't even try to humor her. "I am the wrong person to ask this question, but I can tell you this much; if you feel no remorse, or even like it, you're probably less human than those around you. But don't worry, that's not a bad thing, in my opinion. See how good I am at this job?" Sakura's eyes widened at his insinuation, as did everyone else's, but Minato came in at that moment, stopping any questions.

He noticed the shocked looks of everyone present, but let it slide, not wanting to intrude too much. Kushina, looked around and shrugged. She was dressed in a blue t-shirt and a Konoha flak-jacket. Her hair was up in a pony tail, two bangs in front framing her face. She had blue shinobi pants on with bandages wrapped around her right leg, her shuirken and kunai pouch attached to that.

Sitting back at his desk, Minato explained the mission parameters to everyone, having only given the scroll previously, entering serious mode, aka Hokage mode, as he did so. "This mission entails the liberation of a town under the Kurosuki family..." Naruto tuned him out, thinking of the best way to get to Raiga at that point without anyone on the mission to find out of his... past relations. Kurama had an idea, one that he liked but knew he couldn't just do but would love to. **'Why don't you just leave them when you get there?'** He'd been lazing around in his head up until that point, so his voice was drowsy and sleep filled. 'Go back to sleep, Kurama. I already thought of that, but they'd tell Minato that I abandoned them in the middle of the mission.'

Shaking his head, he heard that Minato was getting to the end of the mission briefing. "So, you needn't kill everyone involved, only end the subjugation of the village's people. Dismissed." They all nodded with a "Hai, Hokage-sama" before turning towards the door to leave.

As they left the room, Naruto turned to them all, ignoring the smile he got from Kushina, making her sulk a bit, something Kurenai noticed but didn't choose to pry on. "Okay, so I know where they are, and I can get to their leader, Raiga, from the get go. You can free the villagers ahead of time, maybe deal with some of the bandits as well, but this mission will be over within the day. Give me 15 minutes to deal with Raiga, at most. I have an idea as to how to deal with the left over bandits as well, but we'll burn that bridge when we get there." Kiba piped up at that. "And who the hell put you in charge, huh!?" Kushina was about to beat his head in, but a shake of the head from Naruto made her hand stop mid swing. Naruto looked at him for a moment before putting out enough chakra to make it hard for all but Kushina to breathe.

Letting up, he turned away from Kiba, walking out the village gates, as they'd been making their way their the whole time. He let the two jonin take point, falling to the back of the group as they began to run towards the village at Sakura's full speed, which, not all too high, was enough that they'd arrive in a few hours, with breaks in between.

* * *

2 Hours Later

* * *

Arriving at the village outskirts, they were confronted by some members of the gang. "And who might you be?" Naruto wasted no time with them, sending out chakra strings in a heartbeat, slicing them to bits. All but one of them, who'd hung back. Looking over to the boy, he told him something. "Tell your boss something for me. Tell him that one of Ringo's friends are here for a visit. Oh, and don't leave your home for the rest of the day afterwards. I'll kill you on sight if you do." The boy ran away like the devil himself was after him, out pacing the ninja, even if they were going at a leisurely pace.

Kushina and Kurenai then proceeded to admonish him for his actions, Kiba, Shino, and Sakura to disturbed by the sight of the dismembered bodies to say a thing. First, Kurenai tried the diplomatic approach. "Don't you think that was a bit rash, Naruto-san?" When he ignored her and kept walking, Kushina hit him on his head, going with her method. "Baka! Why'd you-" Naruto cut her off. "I know what I'm doing. They were completely expendable and I plan on... conversing with Raiga before I remove his head. It matters not if he knows I'm coming. As for the boy, well, I don't kill EVERY expendable." With his part said, he began to fill them in on his plan.

"Now, I can just appear at Raiga's position like..." his voice began to come from behind them at that point, making their eyes widen. "this, so I can go end this. Like I said," here, he reappeared in front of them, causing their head to whip forward so fast one might've heard a crack. "you should focus on the bandits who are watching those who enslaved. Some likely have training, so watch your genin, Kurenai, and watch Kurenai's back, Kushina." Kushina stopped him there. "Wait, why aren't I going with you!?" He shook his head. "I'm going int 1," he said matter-of-factly. "They," he said, gesturing to the somewhat nervous genin and their sensei, "are going into a group of opponents with three green genin, and a genjutsu specialist jonin. She can't really babysit too effectively for all three of them, anyway." He ignored the indignant "Hey!"s from all those mention.

Looking at them, he waited for a moment, as the boy who he spoke of earlier came back into view. He turned to the boy, asking him if he already spoke to Raiga. Receiving a fearful nod in response, Naruto addressed the boy, his voice making him flinch. "Well, this curry shop had better be your home, because that's where I told you to go, boy." He got another fearful nod as a response as the boy rushed inside the shop.

Smirking at the entrance, he looked back at his team for the mission. "Okay, I'll be beginning right about now. The mine which the people are enslaved currently are in that direction." He pointed towards a mountainous area of the village in the distance. "It'd be side first, just saying. Good luck, but you really shouldn't need it." With that, he disappeared, leaving the two jonin to prepare the genin and plan for the battle.

As he appeared in a valley like area, he saw the graves all around him. _'That's new...'_ He saw Raiga in the middle of a funeral... and he could sense the man in the coffin still alive, his cries and banging easily audible. Raiga had a group of his gang members around him as well, so Naruto sent out a few chakra strings to encircle them as he walked up. "Hey, Raiga. How've you been? It's been forever." Raiga looked up at him, surprised that he was snuck up on so easily. That is, until he got a good look at the one who did it. "Naruto...!?" Ranmaru, concealed behind him, whispered to Raiga, "Please don't fight him, Raiga."

Shaking his head, Raiga regained his composure. "Hello, Naruto. Lovely day for a funeral, isn't it?" Naruto nodded at that as it began to rain. "Yes, very fitting. But there's one thing mission here; a DEAD body. I can hear the guy in there, Raiga." Raiga's companions tensed, ready to jump at who they thought was only a boy.

Naruto was having none of that, though, as he tightened the strings he'd kept invisible but surrounding their body through the greeting. Their bodies fell apart before they knew what happened to them, making Raiga pale. "W-what did you..." Naruto just continued of from where he left off. "How about you take his place." He wrapped Raiga up in strings before he could say a thing, using his ability to remove Ranmaru from his back and make strings come from midair, stringing him up above him. "After I prepare you, of course." He also shattered the coffin with the man in it, making him grovel at Naruto's feet before he was shooed off.

Ranmaru jumped out of the bag that concealed him, shouting, "No!" Looking at him with a bit of annoyance as he grabbed onto him, Naruto sighed. "I won't have to if he complies with me in a moment, child. Hold your horses." Pushing him off slightly, he walked up to Raiga, a blank look on his face. "Now, Raiga, I'll ask you a few questions and you'll answer them truthfully. Okay?" Raiga nodded as best he could, his Kiba blades having been pulled away as well, hand immobilized, and left completely defenseless. "Now, did you kill or hurt Ameyuri Ringo in any way to get those blades?" He shook his head in a negative answer, making Naruto "Hm" for a moment.

Turning the strings to steel with a bit of koton chakra, he pulled out a sealing tag. Wrapping it around one of the strings, he said, "Kumonosu no Shinjitsu(Web of Truth)." As he finished, the tag was absorbed into the string and all of them momentarily shone a bright white. "Now, respond once more. Did you hurt her?" He shook his head again. When nothing happened, he sighed in relief and Naruto nodded in acceptance.

Naruto then let his head go free, at least enough for him to speak. "So, Raiga, what DID happen?" As Raiga went to hastily answer, Naruto held up a finger to him. Taking out another sealing tag, he wrapped around one of the strings again, before speaking. "Kumonosu no Uso(Web of Lies). Now, depending on how many lies you tell, your body may be ripped apart. Them more you tell, the more likely it is. Now, you may tell me your story."

A few minutes later, Naruto was nodding in acceptance. When the web didn't even begin to dig into Raiga, he was happy to believe the man. Walking over to his Kiba blades, he picked them up. "Okay, then I'll be returning these to their owner at some point in the near future, if you don't mind." He released Raiga, who was then embraced by Ranmaru. As Raiga tried to convince him to let him keep he swords, Naruto sighed. "Fine, I'll make a copy for you. They won't be as well in tune with natural lightning, but you can get your weapons."

Focusing on the blades in his hands, he held them in a reversed grip before stabbing them into the ground. Lightning struck him at that moment, likely called down by the blades he was currently flooding with his chakra. Slowly but surely, he brought his hands away from the blades, an ethereal copy of them within his hands. When he finally pulled them up, he had a bit of sweat on his brow, the mental strain of replicating something so complex taking a toll on him.

Tossing the blades to Raiga, he pulled the originals out of the ground as he began to walk away again. "As long as you leave this town alone, you can live in peace. Actually, I don't care if you enslave any other villages, but make sure you do it outside of Hi no Kuni, if only so I'm not sent to top you again." With that, he disappeared from the area, leaving Raiga being embraced by a worried but thankful Ranmaru.

He made the two swords disappear as he appeared at the location of his temporary team. He found them tying up the bandits who weren't killed, Kushina burning the bodies of those who were. Naruto walked over to Kurenai and stopped her. "You guys can take a break; I got this." He made a couple hundred clones to deal with everything, making Kiba's eyes almost pop out of his head, Sakura's jaw almost hit the ground, and Shino's... well, he stayed straight faced. Kurenai's eyebrows flew up to her forehead and Kushina had the proudest look on her face, having Naruto take after her in at least chakra capacity.

Walking down the path to Konoha, he asked, "Can we just return to Konoha? I... have something I need to sort out." Sakura and Kiba nodded hastily, seeing the dying eyes of the people they killed every time they looked at the mines. Shino agreed as well, feeling uneasy despite handling it much better. Kushina was neutral, not feeling tired in the slightest, due to her enhanced stamina. Kurenai, on the other hand, shook her head, not agreeing with the idea. "We should stay and help the village recover. Besides, my genin are tired." Though she said her genin, referring to all of them, it was only really Sakura who was tired, Kiba using his Gatsuga to deal with multiple in one shot and Shino sucking them dry with his insects. "I can take us back in an instant, if you wish. I'm tired of this place."

Kurenai thought for a while, looking over to the village to find that the clones were done with the bandits and were speaking with the previous village government on what to do with them. Sighing, she relented, not finding any real reason to stay if Naruto could take them there. "Fine."

He smirked before telling them to grab onto one another and hold on. They did so and Naruto grabbed Kushina's hand before concentrating on covering just them in a layer of thick chakra. They felt like they were being suffocated, but they didn't dare interrupt him, unsure of what would happen.

Feeling as though they were safe, he focused on Konoha, which was on the edge of his range. 'Oi, Kurama! Wake your lay ass up!' The snoring seemed to intensify, making his eye twitch before he calmed down. _'Fine then, natural energy it is.__'_ Focusing on nature, he pulled as much of it as possible onto the shell of chakra he'd made, reinforcing it before using his own to increase his range, getting Konoha safely within it. Looking over to them, he spoke. "Hold on. I don't know if I'll bother coming back for you if you let go." With that, they disappeared.

For his passengers, it was like they blacked out, not having any real sense of time or knowledge of what was happening. All they knew was that when they came to, Konoha's gates were in front of them and they were dizzy as all hell. Sakura doubled over and threw up on the spot, barely managing to turn her head to the side to not get it on anyone. Kiba at least made it to a bush before letting it go. Shino just wobbled a bit, his bugs helping to stabilize him rather quickly so he was fine in a few moment. Kurenai was pretty well off, her training with genjutsu making her rather resistant to feelings of dizziness, something genjutsu can induce with decent effort. Kushina was used to Minato's Hiraishin, which had the same effect, so she just shrugged it off.

Walking forward without much concern for how they handled that, he gave a halfhearted, "Sorry." to his passengers. Kushina caught up with him as he was about to use the technique on himself again and asked, "What was that? I've seen you use it before but you've never told me what it was." Naruto decided to humor her before he left, continuing to walk towards Minato. "In actuality," he began, making her beam at the fact that he was actually having a conversation with her outside her home. "that technique was different from the one I use normally. It was my version of Minato's Hiraishin, but the one I used to get to Raiga was more advanced. It just has some inner workings and secrets I didn't wish to reveal." With his piece said, he disappeared from there, leaving a dumbfounded Kushina who shunshin-ed to Minato's office behind him, both of them forgetting about Kurenai and her team.

As Kushina appeared in Minato's office, she noticed that Naruto was already there. "Ah, there you are!" Minato said. He was beginning to worry about them when only Naruto appeared. "Where's team 8?" Naruto smirked slightly, so small they wouldn't have noticed if they weren't so used to his blank face. "They'll be here, but they may have to... wash up first." Minato shook his head at that, not even wanting to know. He sighed as he addressed Naruto. "Uh, I just received a request for backup from your team, Naruto. The client lied about mission difficulty, but they wish to continue anyway, so I'll be sending you in. You came back from your previous mission rather quickly, so I doubt this'll be too bad for you." A chill went up Naruto's spine at that, one that reverberated through him so thoroughly that both Kurama and Kogo were jolted awake. **'Huh? You need somethin'?'**This came from Kogo, her voice laced with drowsiness as Kurama yawned in the background. 'No, but I think you should stay awake. I may be needing you soon; just a feeling.'

Minato told him that they stopped an hour away from Konoha, waiting for backup to arrive, but this was a little over an hour ago, as the message just arrived. Sighing, he nodded, but as Kushina offered to go with him, he declined. "I'll be enough, I think. No need to send out more shinobi than needed. Besides, this is my team." With that, he walked out of the office, leaving a disappointed Kushina and an only slightly worried Minato.

Disappearing just as Kurenai and her team came into view, he appeared where he felt the chakra of his own team, along with two he hadn't felt in a while. Appearing in front of Kakashi, he ignored everyone else's surprise at his sudden appearance and said, "Update." Kakashi nodded, figuring Naruto would be the backup. "We left Konoha two hours ago, not long before you did, according to Hinata, and we proceeded at a civilian pace for an hour. We encountered those two-" here he pointed at the Oni Kyodai(Demon Brothers) who were tied to a tree behind Naruto, though he already knew of them. "-and engaged in combat, which was swiftly ended by those Sai and Surashi, Hinata having jumped in front of our client and Yakumo having supported with genjutsu. Afterwards, I tied them up and interrogated the bridge builder, Tazuna, and found that he lied about the mission difficulty and this likely wasn't a random encounter.

"His village in Nami no Kuni is currently under the control of Gato-" Naruto held up a hand at that, not needing to hear any more. "I think I get it. Gato, the rich and famous one, I assume, is sucking them dry while taking control of the ports, so they couldn't actually afford to pay for the mission; that's why he lied, hoping to get a strong team for a cheap price. Well, as irresponsible as this was, I understand." He'd turned to address Tazuna now. "Know this, though: if any of my teammates fall, that's one of your limbs." Tazuna seemed to shrink in on himself as Naruto began to release killer intent, not enough to kill him from his mere presence like some could, but enough to let him know that he wasn't giving a threat, he was making a promise.

Naruto turned back to Kakashi as the genin grouped up around the two. "Did you interrogate the two?" He was referring to the Oni Kyodai behind him. Kakashi shook his head. " I figured I'd wait to see if our back up was better suited to the task than I am, and I figured it'd be you anyway. You spend too much time with Anko to NOT be good at interrogation." Naruto nodded, greeting his team a moment before appearing next the Oni Kyodai and taking them with him in the same way he transported Kushina and Kurenai's team, Kurenai included.

Appearing in a deeper part of the forest, he put up a barrier of pure chakra that was condensed enough that it would blind Hinata for a few seconds if she tried to look at or through it. Untying the two, he asked, "The FUCK are you guys doing!?" Neither Gozu or Meizu could meet his eyes at that point, even Meizu's temper being quelled by their fear of him getting angry. Gozu, being the more rational of the two, tried to talk his way out with surprising success. "Z-Zabuza-sama sent us to kill the bridge builder, see. We didn't know you knew those guys." He didn't out right say it, but his tone said, "Sorry about that"

Sighing, knowing they were correct, he let up with the killer intent he was leaking, sure someone in Konoha felt it. "That's not what I meant. I knew you guys would have to leave, but why have you been taking such dirty jobs. I mean, come one! You took one of GATO'S jobs. He doesn't like to pay nuke-nin; he prefers to cash in on their bounties when they've served their purpose. This is suicide!" They looked at each other for a moment before Meizu regained hi composure. "Well, how the fuck would we know that, huh!? All we knew is that he paid well!" Naruto and Meizu shared what could only be described as a glaring contest before they burst out laughing.

Gozu smiled under his rebreather, before speaking. "It's been a while, Naruto." Naruto smiled genuinely for the first time in a while before answering. "Yes, it has hasn't it? The last time was, what, 3 years ago?" Meizu slung an arm around his shoulder. "So, think you're stronger that Zabuza-sama yet?" It was a joke the three shared for a while, knowing that he was stronger for a while, just worse when it came to using a zanbatou like the Kubikiri.

Naruto laughed, elbowing Meizu in the gut. "Damn right, I am! Three years changes a lot." His smile left his face at that point, knowing he only had so much time before Kakashi came to check on him. But, in all seriousness, you guys have to tell Zabuza not to fight us. We both have a job, but tell him to walk away from this one, else we'll be fighting, and it won't be training this time." They both nodded gravely, Gozu being the one to respond. "We'll try, but..." Meizu took over here, showing just how in sync the twins were. "You know how he can be." The took their respective gauntlets and took a single claw, making circles next to their head in the universal sign for crazy. They laughed before disappearing in a shunshin, leaving Naruto to think of explanation as to why they were released.

Walking back to the group, he waited until they gathered in front of him to begin. "Okay, so I actually know those two and, where they are, Zabuza Momochi, the Kirigakure no Kijin(Demon of the Hidden Mist) is sure to follow. Kakashi may know this, but he's an A-Ranked nuke-nin from Kiri, one who attempted an assassination on the Mizukage, Yagura, unsuccessfully, but did better than you'd expect. He's a former member of the Kiri no Shinobi Gatana Shichinin Shu and has three followers at the moment, two of which you've met and the other a jonin level kekkei genkai bearer."

He paused a moment to let all of that sink in before Kakashi forced to him to say what he did to the two. "About that..." He sighed. "I let them go." As Kakashi was about to roast his ass, verbally, and Surashi was about to do the same, literally, he held up a hand to stem the tide of outraged reactions. "Hear me out. We have history, both the Oni Kyodai, who you fought, and Zabuza, so I gave them a chance to convince Zabuza to leave. If they fail, well, Zabuza would've come anyway. If they succeed, that eliminates a pretty big fish. I'll handle Zabuza if he pops up."

Kakashi shook his head. "He's out of your league, Naruto." Naruto looked at Kakashi with a look of "Oh REALLY now!?" before giving a response. "I know how to fight him and I've only gotten stronger since our last encounter. He's had to run from hunter-nin for three years. Do you really think he'll be stronger that me?" Kakashi looked a bit sheepish at that. "I thought so. But, you should handle the other member of his party. I don't know how strong he or she is, only that they're at least jonin level, so don't underestimate them. If my info is correct, whoever it is is the last known bearer of the hyoton, a rather powerful kekkei genkai, especially in an area like this with abundant water."

Kakashi nodded before sighing. Walking towards Tazuna, he mumbled, "When did I start taking orders from genin..." Tazuna looked so relieved at that moment that he could've passed for a man who just proposed(and she said yes!). "Don't be too happy, Tazuna-san; this mission isn't over yet. If this Gato is that rich, then there'll be more." Tazuna returned to being a bit scared, but steeled his resolve to continue, having caused too much trouble to just stop at this point.

Continuing on, they encountered a boatman who took them across the river, the fog thickening as they did so. Naruto, who chose to run next to the boat, jumped on and informed Kakashi of something. "Zabuza's here. This is his jutsu, not fog, so be ready when he pops up." Kakashi nodded, passing on the message to the others, sans Tazuna.

A few minutes later, they were on a path towards Tazuna's village, the fog getting thicker and thicker, to the point where even Tazuna realized it was no ordinary fog. At that moment, a large blade came at them, spinning like a buzz-saw. Kakashi shouted, "Get down!" as he grabbed Tazuna, hauling him to the ground. All of the genin, sans Naruto, did so, hitting the ground like gravity was multiplied tenfold.

Naruto on the other hand just made his own zanbatou in one hand, deflecting the blade and sending it into a tree, which it became stuck in. On the handle landed Zabuza. "I'm not a merciful man, but I'm feeling nice today." Here, Zabuza began to leak killer intent with such force that all the genin, sans Naruto, felt as though they were already being murdered. "Give me the bridge builder or die." Naruto scoffed at him. "You already know my answer... sensei."

His teammates looked at him in shock, not knowing of their relationship until now. Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "You won't back down, huh?" Naruto got rid of the previous zanbatou he had before pulling a new one from seemingly thin air. He brandished the zanbatou in one hand, retrieving another to dual wield them. They were both big as all hell, just as tall as him, but they were different. The first was rather shiny, but was made up of multiple different swords, a small one in the middle, a rather large, serrated one in the back with it's handle showing above the guard, a large one in the front(A/N: Google First Tsurugi for the image). The other seemed to be only two swords, but they fit together in a much cleaner fashion, smoothly creating a black zanbatou with a silver guard and bandages on the handle(A/N: Search Buster Sword Redux in google images for a good image. It's the first, but it has inverted colors for the blade and guard.)

Naruto blurred in front of him, releasing a good amount of his seals, and slashed with both swords. Zabuza, seeing this coming, hopped off the blade, landing behind it and grabbing the hilt. He pulled the blade out of the tree and pushed Naruto's away in one fluid motion, making it obvious that his physical strength was nothing to scoff at. The both smiled as Zabuza jumped backwards, holding his sword with both hands. "Gozu! Meizu! Haku! Deal with the others while I teach my student some manners." With that he rushed Naruto, who dodged the blade, bringing both of his at Zabuza's midsection in a spinning motion.

Zabuza jumped over the slice, sending a powerful leg at Naruto's head at the same time. Naruto, who kept spinning, brought one of the blades up, blocking the kick but giving Zabuza a foot hold. As Zabuza pushed off, backing up for a moment, he pulled the Kubikiri from the ground, as he'd buried it there with the strength in his original strike. They rushed one another, disappearing from view until the met, locking blades. Zabuza, with his height advantage, began to press down on Naruto. "Class is in session, runt!" Naruto channeled chakra to his limbs, making them even stronger instead of releasing seals. "Yeah, and it's about time I taught YOU a thing or two." He rolled to the side, pushing Zabuza's blade away, before jumping back. "Gatsuga!" A crescent of a deep purple chakra/youki mix came from each blade, forming an "X" as it flew.

Every part of the ground it passed was torn up, leaving to trenches on the ground as it traveled towards Zabuza. "Fuck." Zabuza ducked under the blades, narrowly avoiding getting beheaded by the intersection of the two blasts. They formed a path to the lake behind them, though, and Zabuza was glad to take advantage of the water that flowed through the trenches near him. He spun his blade in a circle, a trail of water coming from the tip of his blade, flowing from the trenches near him. Catching it a moment later, but keeping it moving, he swung it at Naruto. "Mizukiri(Water Beheading)!" A thin line of water flew from the blade's edge, one that Naruto chose to dodge rather than block out of caution. It was a good choice, for it cut clean through the trees behind him. And the trees behind those. And the trees behind those.

Growling, he shouted, "You tryin' to kill me!?" Zabuza nodded, a bit ticked himself. "Yeah! Did you SEE the shit you just threw at me!?" Naruto smirked at that remark. "Touche, No-Brow-sensei!" At his growl, Naruto laughed, before blurring in front of him and kicking his previous teacher in the chest, sending him onto the lake.

Taking a glance behind him, he saw Kakashi combating a masked, hunter-nin-looking figure who he assumed was Haku, as he already knew Gozu and Meizu personally. He was doing pretty well, considering he managed to combat an enemy he knew absolutely nothing of, though the situation was the same for both combatants. The demon brothers were putting up more of a fight than they were previously, having gotten another gauntlet for their other hand and fending off any katon jutsu from Surashi with their suiton jutsu and destroying any beasts from Sai with a jab from their claws. They got each other out of Yakumo's genjutsu with a small puncture from their non poisoned claws, having come prepared this time. Hinata was the main defense for Tazuna, so she hung back for the most part, a scythe in her hands held at the ready, prepared to fend of either of the brothers if they made a dash for Tazuna.

His attention was brought back to Zabuza when he sensed two attacks coming at him, one at his head and another at his midsection. He brought a blade up to each side of him, blocking both clones of Zabuza that attacked him. The mizu bunshin no jutsu gave the clones a tenth of their creator's power, so he was able to easily bat them away, dispelling them. He turned to where Zabuza was, feeling a buildup of chakra and saw Zabuza going through hand signs at high speeds, his sword stuck to his back with chakra.

"Oh, fuck me." was all he could get out as Zabuza finished, calling out his technique as the water behind him began to rise. "Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu(Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)!" It flew at Naruto with ferocity that made him think he was facing an actual dragon, an experience he didn't wish to repeat. Jumping, he charged up for another sword technique variation. As the dragon turned around and flew at him again, he took both blades and started spinning, turning his body parallel to the ground.

Using chakra to speed him up in midair, he used his Gatsuga technique, but didn't stop, creating a saw that the dragon collided with, destroying itself in its attempt to kill him. As he slowed down, he noticed Zabuza staring at him in what he assumed was shock. Smirking he decided to shock him again.

He formed chakra under him in midair, making a platform for him to stand on and giving himself the image of levitation. Putting both swords on his back and sticking them with a small flow of chakra, he decided to end this with a bang. Going through hand signs for the first time in a while, he back flipped, making his feet point towards the sky. Pushing off and speeding towards the water, he finished the hand signs and used another boost of chakra to go faster, making a small boom and drawing the attention of all the others.

Colliding with the water, he called out, "Baku-suiton: Daibakusuishoha(Explosive-Water Style: Great Exploding Water Shock-wave!)!" The waves that followed his impact with the water's surface were nothing compared to the explosions that traveled outwards on the waters surface, carried by his chakra and making the waves all the bigger, and stronger. Zabuza, being far too close to dodge, was swept up in an instant, sending him into the forest around them as a veritable tsunami followed him, battering him with explosions that Naruto timed as best he could to go off near him and tons of water that pounded him, much of it created by Naruto, as the lake didn't deplete all too much.

Haku cried out, "Zabuza-sama!" as he/she threw senbon at both Naruto and Kakashi, which they had to take the time to deflect, going after him. Gozu and Meizu followed, not wanting to stay behind with the super genin, Kakashi, AND Naruto. Kakashi went to intercept them, but Naruto held out a hand as he appeared in front of him. Ignoring the questioning look he got, he shouted something at the retreating team as they retrieved their battered leader and his weapon. "Tell Gato something for me. Handan is coming back, with a vengeance." With that, he turned away, making his swords disappear as his previous opponents retreated.

Walking back towards his team, he took in their looks of awe. Surashi had hearts in her eyes at that point. "You HAVE TO teach me that jutsu!" He shook his head at that, smirking at her disappointment. "It takes WAY too much chakra for you to pull that off. Besides, didn't you hear the name? I'd have to not only teach you suiton, but bakuton as well. I don't like the idea of such an undertaking right now."

He then looked at Kakashi, indicating for him to take over. Kakashi sighed, enjoying the ability to be lazy as someone else did his job. "Alright then, we'll proceed to Tazuna's home. Yakumo, Hinata, you two stick to him like glue. Sai, take point. Naruto and I will bring up the rear." With that, they continued on, all three possessors of dojutsu with their eyes combing their surroundings while Naruto was focusing on his chakra senses enough that he could already feel Tazuna's village.(A/N: Yes, Kakashi can keep it going. More on that later.)

Two more thoughts crossed Naruto's mind as he felt the monotony of the situation overtake him. _'Fucking hell, civilians are slow.' _and _'Something big is gonna kick my ass. I can feel it.'_

* * *

A/N: Cut! I think I've made enough progress for now, at least in this arc. If you couldn't tell, there are still many things going on in the background that I have left to be exposed in the future. A LOT of things are planned for this series, and a lot of ability explaining to do. So many words, so little space... oh wait, I can type just about infinitely. Hehehe. Let's just move onto the harem and forget that happened. Oh, and you CAN vote for girls who aren't on the list, you know. Ino, for example, would be fine, as long as you mention her. By the way, this is just the list of those I let you guys chose; may add in an oc or another girl I really like. Just saying.

(**Bold=Confirmed**, _Italics=Probable_, Normal=Possible)

**Kogo(Fem Kyuubi)**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

**Fem Sasuke**

**Fem Gaara**

**Fem Hidan**

**Yugito**

**Anko**

**Matatabi(Nibi)- Pulled ahead, so she's in.**

_Shizuka: 1_

_Tayuya: 1_

_Temari: 4_

_Tenten: 4_

_Shion: 4_

_Mei: 2_

_Ino: 1(I'll count what you said in your review as a vote, __GinnyLover14; just say the girl to add her to the list.)_

Fem Kakashi: 1

Okay, so I'm gonna make the cut off for the harem at some point in the near future. Past that, I have a plan for next chapter, oddly enough; I rarely plan for these chapters, the just happen. Well, have a great day, and thanks for taking the time to read my story. If you're confused, don't worry. All will come to light in due time.


	10. Since When Was Naruto So Emotional?

A/N: Okay, so oddly, the harem is still completely viable right now, and you'll find out why in either this or the next chapter. Don't wanna spoil too much. Oh, and I HATE the mistakes I find, but I can never see them before I publish a chapter. Anyone wanna BETA me? I mean, seriously, it gets really boring to reread a chapter you've rewritten a few times... like this one.

On the topic of rewriting this chapter, I did that a few times, 'cause I wasn't too satisfied with how it came out. I'm still not completely happy, so if you don't really like this chapter, don't worry, I have some problems with it as well. Well, beyond my need of better proofreading and writing skills, there's a chapter beneath this that needs reading. Get to it!... Or not. I can't force you.

EDIT: I tried to make each paragraph less a wall of text. I hope it helped. because when I looked at it on mobile, it only annoyed me. Also, plums, I hope this is better for you.

* * *

Kage Bunshin \- Jutsu (I think I'll start using this more for dramatic effect, if only a bit.)

**It's about time you learned the pecking order.** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech/thought.

_Crap, now I have to think of a pecking order. _\- Thought/Flashback stuff.

OH MY FUCKING GOD - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication (which is present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

* * *

**_Last Time on Dragon Ba- er String Theory!-_**

"Alright then, we'll proceed to Tazuna's home. Yakumo, Hinata, you two stick to him like glue. Sai, take point. Naruto and I will bring up the rear." With that, they continued on, all three possessors of dojutsu with their eyes combing their surroundings while Naruto was focusing on his chakra senses enough that he could already feel Tazuna's village.

Two more thoughts crossed Naruto's mind as he felt the monotony of the situation overtake him. _'Fucking hell, civilians are slow.' _and _'Something big is gonna kick my ass. I can feel it.'_

**_And Now..._**

* * *

Walking into the village, they were greeted by the sight of poverty and general misery. There were children, but instead of playing, many were scouring the streets for food while other just sat there. Any food stands had rotten product, if any at all. Multiple building were boarded up and left in a state of disrepair, which explained why there were so many people outside; many didn't even have a home. They milled about, no hope on their faces and no knowledge of what the future would bring.

As one man dropped to the floor, Naruto decided he'd had enough. _'This reminds me of my childhood before I got a home... I shouldn't be feeling nostalgic here.'_ Sighing at the image this would no doubt get him, he told everyone to stop. When they asked him why, he looked away from them. "My conscience is flaring up again. Besides, this reminds me of my childhood a bit too much than it should; about time for me to fix that." All of them had shocked looks on their faces, not really having any knowledge of their teammates past before this.

He ignored the looks of sympathy and pity as he concentrated. Really, REALLY hard. 'Oi, Kogo, Kurama! I'll need your help for this one; I'm not too good at creating organic things like food.'

He got an easy going **'Hai!' **from Kogo, but Kurama grumbled a bit from being interrupted during... whatever it was demon foxes did in their spare time besides sleep.

A wave of controlled youki began to seep out from him as he gave both of the foxes partial control, all of them controlling in sync. It condensed around him in a shell, having drawn the attention of the people on the streets long ago but now making them a bit scared. His own black and red youki seeped into the shell as well, along with his chakra, but he was just burning as much as possible to make more space for natural energy.

Throwing away his gloves, as he'd imbued his chakra control seals onto them, he pumped as much chakra as he could into every tenketsu(chakra point) on his body, wasting it. Having managed to use over half of his chakra with the help of the two foxes fighting against his energy on purpose, burning more of it in the process, and using his own youki with theirs, burning through almost all of it, they all focused on controlling the flow of natural energy that began seeping into Naruto of its own volition, making sure it didn't get converted back into his chakra or youki.

Holding out his hands, inadvertently showing the Sarutobi clan mark on his hand to his team, he went to speak two words with a deeper power behind them that made all who heard it shiver, but not necessarily in fear, but reverence and excitement, their own chakra, whether dormant or active, resonating with the energy of nature being concentrated around him.

"Senjutsu: Banbutsu Sozo(Sage Technique: Creation of All Things)."A greenish white glow replaced his shell as natural energy used him as a gateway into creation, being formed into all kinds of food. Bread, rice, assorted meat, fruits and veggies, just about any food less complicated that a prepared dish for a big meal was available.

Falling to his knees, Naruto panted in exhaustion, having never dropped this low on chakra in over 5 years. Everyone on the streets gaped at him, not believing their eyes, but Naruto just smirked as he rose to his feet again, still not 100% but good enough, at that moment. A noticeable decrease in the strength of his voice, he gestured to the food set out in the street. "Take your pick, but don't be greedy." They all rushed the table then, having been given permission from the godly figure before them.

Ignoring the looks he was getting from his team, he looked to Tazuna. "Do you need any? I'm sure you live here too, and Gato will be around for at least another day, maybe two." Naruto made a cloth bag for Tazuna, an easy task for him, and watched as the man went into the fray, happy to get some food for his family.

As they were left alone, Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the shoulder. "We'll need to have a little chat about that Naruto."

Surashi nodded her head. "Damn fucking right!" Without her mother there to stop here, she had no reservations about cutting loose a bit.

Naruto shook his hand of at that. "Make no mistake, Kakashi; you're orders are of no REAL value to me, and I don't NEED to tell you guys anything. I'll tell you whatever I'm comfortable with telling you, nothing more, maybe less." With that, they waited for Tazuna to finish getting food for his family, as was the whole crowd. By the time they left, people were still scrambling for food, making Naruto wonder if he made too much. Walking to Tazuna's house, he got teasing comments of how sweet what he just did was from the demons within his mind.

Arriving at Tazuna's house, which was a bit secluded from the village, they were greeted at that door by a woman. Tazuna engulfed her in a hug the moment she opened the door. When they separated, Tazuna introduced the shinobi who were waiting patiently behind him. "Tsunami, these are the Konoha shinobi who I managed to get to protect me."

Even as he talked, Naruto was only half listening as Kurama was sending wolf whistles to him in his mind, Kogo not much better. **'DAMN! CAN ANYBODY ELSE SAY MILF! I mean, just LOOK at the rack on this woman! You would've thought she was born half succubus or something!'** Kogo was impressed as well, though she was a little less... vocal beyond whistles of appreciation.

It's a good thing Naruto made a point to learn how to listen even when focusing on his mind, because his team was introducing themselves and it was his turn; he didn't want to get caught staring at anyone's tits at that moment, but, unfortunately for him, Kurama forced him to with the residual youki left in his system.

He was last, so after Kakashi, who Naruto noticed was also staring, introduced himself, he went. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, genin of Konoha."

Tazuna got next to him and slung an arm around his shoulder. "That's it, gaki!?Ha, you're WAY more than that! Can you guess what this kid did? C'mon, guess, Tsunami." She had absolutely no clue. "Hahaha! Well, lemme tell you, this kid fought an A-Rank ninja, and almost killed the man, to save me! THEN he came into the village and just MADE, like, a few tons of food! This kid is amazing, ain't he!?" Tsunami gaped at him for a while, not believing a child so young could do such a thing, but looking into his amused eyes, she saw a level of wisdom and experience you shouldn't find in a 13 year old, allowing her to believe it(A/N: HA!).

Tazuna then continued. "He's more like the savior of Nami no Kuni than just another genin of Konoha!"

Kakashi interrupted him then. "Well, he's not even JUST another genin. He has his own title and everything."

Tazuna laughed as the entered his home, his grandson, Inari, coming down to greet his grandpa. Looking up at Naruto, as he'd kneeled in front of Inari to give him a hug, he said something. "Why don't you give a proper introduction, ne?"

Naruto rolled his eyes but chose to humor the old man. Giving an illustrious bow, one hand on his chest and the other out to his side, its fingers splayed, he began to speak once more, his voice much richer than before, giving him an air of royalty and power that was only heightened by his style of dress. "Naruto Uzumaki, Seiei Genin Sensei of Konoha, aka the Fujimi no Gisei(Unkillable Sacrifice), if you're interested. 13 years old."

Rising from his bow, he opened his eyes, both of them having a deep set glow to them. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." By the time he was done, Kakashi was applauding lightly, his book hampering the action, while Hinata and Surashi were blushing lightly, the undertone to the voice they thought they knew so well making a shiver go up each of their spines. Sai took out his pad and began taking notes while Yakumo was just looking on, impressed.

Tsunami and Tazuna looked a bit confused as to why he didn't say Hero of Wave, but he answered the question before it was asked, forgetting to change his voice and making Hinata's blush deepen, though Surashi corrected it. "I won't call myself the Hero of Wave unless I actually save it. All I did was put a bucket under a leak; the pipe is still broken and the bucket will soon overflow. As such, you'd better go shopping while there is still produce to go around."

Inari was confused, so he asked his mom and, when he got an answer, looked at Naruto in a mix of anger and gratitude. "It'll help, but your gonna die if you keep opposing Gato." He then ran up the stairs, not liking the amused look Naruto was giving him.

Before he reached the top, he looked back and shouted, "You'll all be killed!" Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at that; the boy didn't know that he could possibly end Gato with a thought from right there, but he didn't blame him at that moment.

A few hours later, Inari, Tazuna, and Team 7, sans Naruto, were seated around the table, prepared to be served their food. Naruto was in the kitchen helping Tsunami cook, much to her surprise. Even when she tried to deny his help, he just told her that he like cooking and wanted to see how she did it and compare. She relented and allowed him in the kitchen, to which Kurama AND Kogo taunted him on, saying things along the lines of, **'You only want a better view, ningen/Naruto-kun.' **Well, they weren't totally wrong, but he cooked none the less, surprising her with how good at it he was.

When they were done, Naruto brought out some of the already plated food, which was curry and rice, while Tsunami brought out a bowl with rice, the curry they didn't use still in the kitchen. The plates were just about even in the amounts, one half pure white rice and the other containing curry.

"Okay, so," began Naruto, "Hinata, I know you don't like spicy food, so I held back a bit on yours. Surashi, I know you DO like spicy foods, so I gave yours an extra kick. Sai, Yakumo, and Kakashi, I had no clue, so I made your mild. Tazuna-san, Inari-san, Tsunami-san said that you two like it mild, so, there you go. There's extra for each type, so feel free to get seconds." Tsunami nodded happily, this being the first time she had guest, and the first time she could REALLY cook for them, in a while.

Naruto sent a clone to get the extra curry as he sat between Inari and Kakashi. He'd remade the table, as it wasn't large enough to house all of them, so now he had more than enough space to sit without bothering the mopey boy or perverted jonin. As the clone returned with the pot(No, not that kind of pot), putting large spoons in each for serving yourself, they all took a moment to clasp their hands and say, "Itadakimasu." with varying degrees of enthusiasm before digging in.

As Surashi took a tentative bite, she may as well have moaned at the taste. Naruto chuckled as she lost all of the manners driven into her as a child and began to shovel her face with it, Yakumo not far behind her, as she too loved it. Hinata, having been drilled in manners from a younger age, even with the reforms to the Hyuuga clan, wanted to do so, but stopped herself and just ate at a faster than normal pace, as did Sai, never being one to show enthusiasm despite liking it so much. Even Inari managed to look a bit happy as he ate, making Tazuna and Tsunami look at him gratefully as they too ate.

Naruto chuckled as Surashi and Yakumo made eye contact before doubling their speed, impressively. Soon, they cleaned their plates before sticking them out and saying, "Seconds, please!" They glared at each other again, before they leaned to the left and threw it all up.

Naruto made an extra clone to clean it up while the first one served them again. "This time, at least TRY to keep it down. Maybe drink some of the water?" They glared at Naruto before glaring at each other and resuming, though they, impressively, managed to keep it down after that, much to the relief of Naruto's clone.

In the midst of it all, Naruto noticed Kakashi take his mask down to eat, making his eyebrows raise a bit at how he actually looked. "Hm, not bad, Kakashi. I see why you hide it."

Kakashi gave Naruto a sidelong glance before quickly finishing his food and replacing his mask before anyone else could notice. "Yeah, it'd just be troublesome otherwise."

* * *

Konoha

* * *

As he sat on his roof, admiring the clouds at night, Shikamaru had a violent sneezing fit. _'Someone, somewhere, just embraced the lazy force. It's a bit too troublesome to find them, though.'_ Somewhere to his left, his father had the same reaction, though he was actually awoken from a nap by the sneeze.

* * *

Nami no Kuni

* * *

As they all finished their food, Naruto's clones cleaned everything up, though it was without the consent of Tsunami, and they just sat around for a bit, Tazuna and Kakashi discussing somethings about IchaIcha, Sai and Yakumo having a conversation on art... again, and Hinata and Tsunami talking about the food she made, though that involved a lot of gestures and references to Naruto. Surashi listened on, actually enjoying the food, even though she was never one for cooking herself.

Naruto just laid back in his chair, meditating, despite how it looked. He was scoping out the area as best he could, trying to pinpoint Gato's exact location, as he hadn't felt the man's slimy chakra in ages. Inari apparently snapped at that point, the happiness at the table somehow making him mad. "Why are you guys even here? Why do you bother trying so hard!? No matter how hard you train, you're still no match for Gato's men! No matter what glorious claims you make or how hard you work, the weak will only end up getting killed!"

Naruto didn't like the last part to come out of his mouth, but he let the boy continue. "You have no clue how much we've suffered, how hard we've tried to get rid of him, but he has too much power! Just the six of you won't make a difference compared to the amount of men Gato has! He's invincible!"

In the silence that followed, Naruto chuckled, but it was a dark one. "No one is invincible, kid. And you think you've suffered? You've had it easy, gaki." Here his voice got rather venomous. "Real fucking easy."

He got up and made his shirt disappear from his chest. Putting his hand into a half tora seal, he said, "Nise Gaiken: Kai (False Appearance: Release)." He released the genjutsu surrounding him, showing the scar under his collar. "I was two when I got this, Inari." On his chest was a mark in the form of the kanji for lonely(Sabishi, 寂しい).

"A shinobi from my village attacked me, under the "watchful" gaze of ANBU, and gave me this, before attempting to kill me." Turning around, he showed him his back. "I got THESE when I was three and a half to four. I was kicked out of the orphanage and had to scour the streets for food, but people wouldn't even allow me that. I was forced into the redlight district, but since I doubt you know what that is, let me explain."

The whole time, everyone's eyes were wide with shock, but now they were beginning to fill with pity. "The redlight district is the area in a village that has all the bad stuff, and adult stuff. Prostitutes were common place. Drug dealers and drug addicts were there, but they weren't easy to pick out, which is sad. Homeless people weren't too uncommon either, appearing in just about every other alley way. I had to keep moving, fighting with grown men for food and then having to steal when I inevitably lost." Taking a deep breath, he continued, as he was trying to prove a point, not get worked up.

"I've been running from the police force for ages, and I've been dodging ANBU since before that. Oh, and from the fact that I was in an orphanage, you could guess that I have no parents, so most things I can do, life skills and shinobi ones, are generally self taught. You have no clue how happy I was to make my first friend, and it was only because the Hokage saw fit to put me, a four year old at the time, to live alone. I met a nice old lady who got me a job, A JOB... at FOUR, in her post office. She even trained me some, but guess what. Guess." Inari was shaking at that point, Naruto's intimidating aura intensifying as he talked.

Naruto bent down to his level, whispering in his ear, though the whole room heard. "Guess." Inari shook his head, not wanting to. "Aw, you're no fun." Straightening, he put back his shirt as he seated himself. "Well, she was murdered by some "rouge" ANBU in the middle of the afternoon. I came in to find them, one with a tanto through her stomach and the other poised to finish it. Well, I murdered them in an instant, not even thinking about my first kill, and brought her to a hospital. She didn't make it, but I would've preferred she died on the spot, because I feel responsible for her.

"She made it to the hospital before dying, but if I had only chose to learn healing techniques instead of ninjutsu, I could've saved her. Do you know what it's like to see one of the five people alive in the world who you truly thought cared about you die in a bed and have the feeling that you could've saved them?" He asked it as a serious question, even though he knew the answer.

Inari, predictably, shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "Well, I'll let you in on a secret of mine." He brought his head down to Inari's level, putting his mouth to the boys ear. "I do." Bring himself upright once more, he continued. "And lemme telly you two things. First off, that's only the tip of the iceberg for me." The stunned silence that covered the table whenever he was silent seemed to become even more full as Hinata began to cry, having been holding it back the whole time. "Second, there are people in the world who have had it worse than I have." The truth of his words hit EVERYONE like a freight train, making some of them realize just how lucky they were.

Naruto wasn't done yet, though. "Even with that, people HERE have had it worse than you, and yet we aren't angsty like shits like you are." He then went around the table in no particular order. "Surashi had the VAST majority of her clan murdered by her cousin and brother in one night, Hinata was being locked in a proverbial cage as she grew up, watching her family destroy itself with tradition and arrogance, and when I say family, I mean over a hundred people, the main branch members outright enslaving the side branch members until I stepped in.

"Yakumo was possessed by a demon that was caused by her own family locking her up, fearing her power, and her sensei betrayed her by trying to seal away her chakra forever, KNOWINGLY crushing her dream, but thought it was for the best. I later got rid of it, but that's beside that point. Sai, well, that's a secret, as is our sensei's, but I think you get it. None of us have had it easy, so get over yourself." With that, Naruto disappeared from the table in his normal fashion, appearing on the roof.

In the house, Tsunami looked to Kakashi with tears in her eyes. "I-is what he said..."

Kakashi nodded sadly. "Yeah, but he watered down his own story a bit, and omitted quite a few things." They entire table became deathly silent at that moment before Kakashi continued. "The people of Konoha, in general, hated him with a passion until recently. Now, only half the population hate him, but, oddly, he doesn't want them to change. He said that he was used to the hate, that he became comfortable like that." Tsunami's eyes widened even further. Not once in her life did she think anyone would get hated so much that they began to just... like it.

Tazuna's hand slammed down on the table, shocking everyone from their revere. He grabbed Kakashi by the collar, bringing him in close. "How the hell could you let that happen to a child!?"

Kakashi couldn't meet his eyes. "I know. I was on the watch when he got the scar; I was the one who killed the man who tried to kill him. I'm the one who fucked up."

In the silence that followed, Inari shaky voice rang clearly. "H-how can you be... ACT so happy? How can HE!?"

Above them, they heard a dull buzz as a few trees behind the house were obliterated, all within his sight of the house and gave them a good view of the wave of energy that flew down from the roof, presumably from Naruto.

On the roof at that moment, Naruto was having an internal debate. _'This little shit thinks he's had it hard, but he has his mom RIGHT THERE! His grandfather has taken care of him too... But I's not his fault. He's been so absorbed in his own hardships to be thankful for what he DOES have.' _

Sighing, his anger returning when he thought about how ungrateful the brat was, he pointed a finger at a mountain in the distance this time, concentrating as much youki as he could into a single point and letting it fly. With less youki in his system, it would be easier to remain calm, or at least NOT get angry, so he was trying to burn a good amount to prevent another incident. He'd lost his cool in there far too easily.

**'Hehe, sorry about that, ningen/Naruto.'** Both Kurama and Kogo apologized, as their residual youki in his system was probably to blame for heightening his emotions.

Sighing, he responded. 'It's not your fault; I need to learn to control that anyway. Now, shut up while I blow off some steam.' The did just that as he made the largest blast yet, aimed at the previously hit but barely damaged mountain and said, "Cero Gigante." There was a hole in the mountain afterwards.

Back in the house, Kakashi, freeing himself from Tazuna's shocked grip, looked at Inari with a look akin to grim acceptance as Hinata answered. "I'm not sure."

Kakashi shook his head, giving his own response. "I don't even think he knows how to be happy anymore, but we've all made due with our lot in life."

Naruto reappeared at that point. "Yes, I do, or at least I think so. Oh, and I'll probably go kill Gato tomorrow night, but I already located him." As he turned to actually walk out of the room at that point, he stopped, turning his head to the still seated group. "Don't start with the pity party I feel brewing. Well, not in you, Sai, but still. My life has made me strong, stronger that you can imagine. I wouldn't trade it for the world." With that he went out side, retaking his position on the roof. As he left the front door, he called back, "I don't need to sleep, so I'll take permanent night watch."

That night, as everyone sat up, thinking about what Naruto said, said boy felt the restlessness of everyone as he meditated on the roof. _'I don't care if they wanna dwell on my words, but if they don't sleep, they could get killed.'_ As he sighed, he stood on the roof and pulled a midnight black violin from thin air. It had seals and such engraved on it to prevent deteriorating over time and accentuate its sound, but it's biggest use was what he wanted. As he began to play, going with an eerie, soft tune that fit the nature of his deep thoughts at that moment, he pulled nature chakra into the violin, making the seals glow a light green.

As the sound washed over each of the people in the house, they felt both at peace and sleepy, quieting the thoughts that went around in their heads with ease and letting them feel the fatigue of the day pull them into a restful, dream-filled sleep.

Feeling their chakra slow to the point that people's chakra generally did when sleeping, he continued to play, enjoying the relaxing feeling he would get from doing so. He almost didn't notice the owl in the forest tree across from him staring at him, or the occasional mouse scamper towards him, pause and raise its head to look at him, then come closer. He almost didn't notice a wolf pack join in with him, howling in time with each stroke of his bow. Almost. But, as it all registered with him, he smiled lightly. _'I need to do this more often. It's... calming.'_

The next day, they all awoke and began to go about their business, Sai, Kakashi, and Yakumo taking the shift of guarding the bridge builder as he completed his work and the rest staying behind to guard Tsunami and Inari. No one saw Naruto until Tazuna, Sai, Kakashi, and Yakumo were leaving for the bridge, when Kakashi stopped the group a yard from the house.

He turned around and looked at the house, seeing Naruto still on the roof, staring out into the distance with a thoughtful look on his face. "Naruto. We're going with-"

Naruto was already nodding, having heard the plans inside the house. "I know. Watch out for Zabuza; he might come back and he might want a rematch." Kakashi just nodded and took his group to guard Tazuna.

Two hours later, Surashi and Hinata were in the house, bored beyond the point of caring. They chatted with each other, spoke to Tsunami, who was currently reading, and tried to talk to Inari, but the boy was still a bit depressing. Naruto felt the overwhelming sense of monotony in the air as he came down, leaving a clone on the roof. "Damn, when did everybody die?" Surashi and Hinata shot up from their positions on the couch in the house's living area, their heads snapping towards the source of their distraction with light speed. Even Tsunami looked up from her book, smiling lightly at him.

Hinata shot up and gave him a surprise hug/tackle, almost sending him to the ground. Surashi just nodded at him, a small smile on her lips as she hung her head off the couch's arm rest upside down. After extracting himself from Hinata's grip, he sat down on the couch's other arm rest. "So," he began, breaking the silence that had once more settled on the group, "do you have any plans for today, Tsunami-san?"

She quietly closed her book, marking the page with a bookmark, and took on a thoughtful expression. "Well, I'd like to go shopping, as I don't know how long we'll have a surplus of food. Maybe take Inari out if the weather is nice."

Naruto gave a polite smile at that. "Well, how about we get that out of the way now. I feel a storm coming, so you'd best get what you can now." Oddly, Hinata shivered at his words, but nodded, agreeing. Tsunami called down Inari and, together, they went down into the trading area of the once depressing village.

Now, the village was still poor, but the people seemed far happier now than when Naruto had arrived. Food merchants actually had things to sell, people who had money made sure to use it and keep at least some in circulation, and no one was being greedy. Naruto lagged behind the group, letting the ladies do as they wished, Inari their unfortunate prisoner as his mother still held his hand tightly, much to his displeasure. Every so often, he'd hand out a roll of cash to a fortunate homeless person who was unable to participate in the buying and selling around them, and made sure to give at least a bit to the homeless ones who weren't in the best of conditions.

**'Since when were you the nice guy?'** Kurama had to interrupt him in the middle of helping a single mom with three kids by giving her a clone.

'Since I got a good mood. Oh, and I HATE poverty, especially when it's because some fuck was greedy. You should know that about me by now, Kurama.'

Kogo decided to pitch in on the conversation. **'Well, it's sweet. A bit too sweet. Who are you and what have you done with Naruto!?'** She seemed to have a sudden realization halfway through, letting it be known before Naruto brushed her off.

'Oh, ha ha ha. Laugh it up, but I can't be an ass to everyone. At least now, if I ever need to hide, these people have my back.'

Kurama nodded. **'Now THAT sounds more like the Naruto I know.'** Naruto just rolled his eyes before catching up with Tsunami and the others.

As he reached them, he saw a building the had a large buildup of negative emotions and lust. It looked decent enough, if a bit box like, but how set apart from everyone it was along with the higher than average upkeep obviously done to the building was enough to tip him off that something was wrong, even if he didn't have his chakra radar. Apparently, Surashi and Hinata noticed it too, because they asked Tsunami about it. "W-well, um..." She glanced at Inari, who was looking around with wonder at how happy the people were. "Inari-kun? Could you go get your mom some grapefruit? I forgot to get some of those." Inari nodded happily, racing off.

Sighing, she began to explain to the shinobi. "Well, Gato has recently started to abduct some women from their homes. As long as their remotely attractive, their a target, but he's starting off small. A daughter here, a single mother there. So far, he's taken about 15 women, but I don't know what happens to them afterwards. They go into that building, from what I've heard, and they don't come out." Naruto completely understood why, and, even as Surashi and Hinata were coming to a conclusion, he was already walking towards the building.

Turning his head back, he paused, smiling at them in a sweet manner that betrayed the fact that he was about to murder out of anger. "Surashi-chan, Hinata-chan. Take Tsunami-san and Inari-san back home and keep them safe, would you?" They shivered, remembering the beatings they received while he spoke to them like that.

Nodding hastily, they tried to get Tsunami to leave, but she wouldn't budge. "Don't go in there, Naruto-san!" Her sentiments were echoed by those on the streets that saw him, not wanting their most recent hero to die so soon, and especially so young.

Naruto shook his head, dropping his sickly sweet voice. "I'm only checking something. If it's true, you'll be getting those girls back." With that, he released two levels of his training seals and made chakra strings appear around him before blurring in front of the doors to the place.

The doors were rather large, betraying the fact that the place was a single floor, but they looked like they were made of solid iron. Naruto just sliced through them like it was nothing, stepping over the ruble and debris as he went to confront the shocked bandits.

He used the strings to slowly put the door back together, from bottom to top. Before he was covered, he mouthed to the spectators while covering his ears, "You may not wanna hear this." With that, the doors were put back together.

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**Gonna be describing some things you may not find too savory(group rape, mind broken women, and unnecessarily brutal murder). Go to the next bold indicator to skip this. You've been warned. Don't be the five year old who's reading M-rated fanfiction that goes crying to his/her mommy about it.**

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Turning his face to survey the room he just entered, he saw things that were expected and unexpected. There was a line of girls chained to a wall, all of which looked untouched, but there were chains to each side of them that were empty. To the side with fewer shackles, there were excretions on the ground, ranging from vomit to semen, covering everything in between. Tears, piss, saliva, sweat. You name a bodily excretion, it was likely there. He nodded at that, noticing that the chakra left on them was identical to various girls around the room being used for the pleasure of the bandits.

To the other side of them, he noted that it was as if those shackles were prepared for more people. A lot more people. Nodding at that, he looked to the bandits. Some were just sitting around, previously looking on at the actions taking place, some having obviously taken part by their state of dress. Others were actively participating, still pistoning themselves in and out of the girl that they chose, if they were guys, or using the girls in any other way for their own pleasure, if they were women. One pair of men had a girl between them, hogtied and with a gag that prevented her from biting down on the thing going in and out of her mouth, tears streaming out of her eyes as her throat was used without regard for her well-being. Same could be said for her asshole, as the dude using it, even as he stared at Naruto in confusion, didn't stop moving at a brutally fast pace. The only liquid Naruto could see or sense there was some blood, meaning he went in dry.

Off to the side, there was a girl shackled upside down to the wall with her throat being used by a group of three guys taking turns. Above her, they had a funnel stuck to a tube running to her ass, the funnel being filled with whatever fluid they chose by whoever wished, and the pump on the tube being used to make sure she took it. All of it. Her eyes told that she'd been like this longer than anyone in her position would wish to remember and had long since given up hope of rescue, the sight of hairy balls becoming commonplace to her.

On the floor, there was a girl, no older than 13, with her legs brought up to her head and strapped there, her arms tied, and being continuously used by a line of guys, the gag in her mouth having become useless as she stopped trying to scream even as the man using her at that moment finished inside her and got up. The tear marks on her face were dry, but she HAD been crying. Profusely, by the looks of it.

Naruto looked to another part of the room. He saw a girl who seemed to be only about 8, presumably just brought out of the chains, being held down by a man as another was attempting to line himself up. Having had enough at that point, and not even bothering to use his own eyes to see the rest, as he could already get a sense from his chakra radar, he sent some strings around the man's dick as he was just about to thrust. Squeezing at the base, he made it a clean slice, the man not even noticing his lack of dick until his crotch impacted with the child's and there was no pleasure.

He opened his mouth to scream, but before he could do so, Naruto made his dick go down his throat, making sure to get it lodged in the opening to his lungs so the man would suffocate. He went to pull it out, and though Naruto was sure he'd fail, he chose to punish him for the attempt to defy him. Cutting off that arm, then the other one, he watched with unbidden glee as the man continued to try and breathe, to stop the bleeding, to try and save himself, and fail. As the man finally stopped kicking, both from lack of blood and lack of oxygen, all eyes returned to Naruto.

Looking to the women, he told them something that made the bandits shiver. "Close your eyes and find your happy place. Don't open your eyes a moment before I say to. Don't check on anything with your ears. Don't even try to imagine what's about to happen. Just sit there, and detach yourself from reality. Because you won't want to live in this reality if you see just how brutal someone can be."

His part said, he proceeded to rip each and every man away from whatever activity they were doing with his chakra strings, making sure they left gashes and, in some cases, took off limbs. He reveled in the screams that resulted from the unlucky ones. At this point, his youki was flaring heavily, the blood-lust he was feeling shared by Kogo and, well, Kurama didn't care about the people but he was always in the mood to kill. His strings became youki filled instead of chakra, giving them corrosive, acidic effects as he turned into Mujihi, having had enough of holding it down.

The best condition men tried to grab their swords and charge him, but Naruto used his chakra strings in the most basic way possible and made them change directions by yanking their swords towards their comrades, making them take down many of their own. Mujihi then proceeded to use those swords to castrate those men before slowly stalking towards the rest. The screaming, as much as it was music to his ears, was getting to some of the women, so he stopped any particles in the air from vibrating to transmit the sound in a small dome around them, even the women on their own in the room, making them relax slightly.

As a few went to open their eyes, he stepped inside the boundary. "Not yet. I just decided to be nice and stop you from hearing them. You won't be happy if you look right now." He made this message reach the ones in the other domes by vibrating the air in the same way his voice did, giving them the message too. Stepping right back out, he snickered at the fearful expressions on the faces of the bandits. "Oh, don't worry. Half of you aren't even guys." With that said, he made all the swords fly at the remainder, slicing each and everyone of them up thoroughly, blood flying all over the wall, limbs being kept attached to bodies by strings of muscle or sinew, even a few eyes pierced by the smaller weapons like daggers and throwing knives. Unfortunately for them, he made sure to rip out any weapons that got stuck in a body and fire them again. And again. And again.

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**Safe to read now... I hope. Hehehe. Okay, okay, it's safe.**

* * *

Walking into the group of groaning, if not outright crying adults, if they were alive, he picked up a sword with a chakra string and brought it over to one bandit woman he left unscathed on purpose. She was shaking like a leaf as Naruto walked up to her, her eyes closing as she prepared for a brutal death when he was almost upon her. She began to cry when the blade was dragged along her skin, burning far worse than it would due to both her fear and the youki in it.

She was extremely lucky, as Mujihi just inscribed Kami no Migite: Handan(Right Hand of God: Judgement) on her chest, right below her collar, making sure the wound would remain forever as a reminder to what almost happened to her. As he removed the blade, she collapsed to he knees, thanking him over and over for sparing her life. "Oh, shut your fucking mouth. If I didn't have a message I wanted you to give Gato, I would've killed you too." She quickly shut her mouth, not wishing to die. "Now, tell Gato this for me. Mujihi Handan is coming to CHAT with him. He's speaking for the other four at the moment, so he'd best not fuck with me. He'll know what that means. I will meet him in his office tonight, so tell him not to be too busy." With that, she nodded.

Stepping aside, he allowed her to make her way to the door, which she did, scampering over dead and dying bodies to get away from the GOD in front of her. Shaking his head, he reverted back to being Naruto before stepping inside the bubble of no sound he made for the women. He freed the other women with a thought, not really needing to preserve the locks so he shattered them. Bringing them to him by guiding them with chakra, he brought a total of 7 other girls to the bubble as he shattered the shackles around the ones chained to the wall.

He put up a barrier around the dying men and women as he told them they could open their eyes. They looked around and saw blood splattered all over the place, not just from the beatings a few of them endured but it seemed to be too much to come from the amount of men they saw. They obviously underestimated just how much blood a person can lose.

Naruto coughed into his hand, gaining their attention. "Now, ladies..." He noticed some of them flinch at his voice while a few of the girls just lay there, not even acknowledging his presence. Sighing, he knelt down at two of the girls who were just laying there, unresponsive but alive, the blank look in their eyes. Putting a hand on their head, he could only think, _'Thanks for being dumb, Yamanaka clan.'_ as he delved into their minds.

The first girl had a mindscape that manifested as a glass platform with her image on it... only the platform was shattered into multitudes of pieces and the pieces had a distorted image. "Fuck. Well, time to do some repair work, I guess." As he was only there as a projection, his power wouldn't normally be too large, but in the state she was in, he could do just about anything to her mind WITHOUT flooding it with as much of his chakra as he could manage. Regardless, he used what he chose to drag the pieces back together, even going as far as to get the little chips that floated off in the distance. The process took him over an hour, but he knew that it was nowhere near as long in the real world.

When he brought the last piece together, the platform glowed before almost shattering again, but Naruto held it together, making her mind stay together. The image of the woman's face was being brought back into focus the longer he held it, so he held it as long as possible before, in front of him, the woman appeared. She looked fine, but the first words she said betrayed her mental state. "Do you wish to use me too, Goshujin-sama (A/N: This is just master, when the one speaking is lower/submissive, I think. Not too good with japanese.)" She then used her own god-like abilities in her own mind to place herself in the same position she was in while the men violated her before, upside down in midair with her mouth open.

Naruto sighed. _'This is gonna take a while... hope their not ALL like her'_

10 real world minutes later, Naruto got up and stretched his back, not enjoying the feeling of entering multiple minds in a short time span. Unfortunately for him, they were all in such a state, so he had to both repair their minds to bring back their own personality then repair their minds to get rid of the lasting effects of the bandits mind-breaking. Further misfortune befell him when he realized that some had drugs in their system that he had to purge, the use of a said drugs making his life extremely difficult to actually repair their minds, but he made due.

Looking back to the group of women who were waiting patiently for fear of angering their savior, Naruto bowed to them, introducing himself. "Naruto Uzumaki, currently a genin of Konohagakure no Sato. I do believe you are all free, but I don't think you want to leave in the nude, ne?"

Each of them nodded with varying degrees of confidence, viewing the rapes of others having had an effect on many and the rapes shattering the victims themselves. "Okay then." He clapped his hands after surveying them, watching them squirm and blush under his view, both from his powerful gaze and the fact that a guy was seeing them naked.

Clothes appeared on the ground, multiple pieces that fit all the sizes their with extra they could carry, bags appearing next to each of them. Each garment looked fancy enough to be worn to a party, but not to, say a ball. Already, though, it was a big step up from the people of wave who were each trying to catch a peak inside the slightly cracked door, as the women he used as a messenger hadn't closed it in her rush.

He turned around as they picked out their clothes. "I know there is little point in me doing this by now, but I will not invade your privacy any further... even if I've seen it all by now." His teasing words helped to lighten their mood slightly as they, for the most part, blushed, showing the experience hadn't broken them completely, especially after his mental help. As they dressed, he pulled natural energy towards each of them, doing his best to soothe their minds and ease the turmoil within them.

When they were done, he turned around. "Now, I want each of you to return to your families the moment I open that door, okay? Past that, do as you wish, but I am rather certain they wish to see you." A few of them nodded, but many of them looked at each other, a sad look coming over their faces.

Naruto sighed. "Okay, what is it?"

One of those who didn't nod stepped forward. "W-well, those thugs killed my husband and son when they tried to defend me."

Another stepped forwards, this one seemingly only around 8. "My mommy tried to leave b-but G-gato caught her and..." Tears were already streaming down her face before she spoke, but it became a waterfall by the time she was done.

One more stepped forward, a teen this time. "I'm an orphan, actually. And currently homeless."

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes a moment as he thought. "Okay, how many of you are in this kind of situation?" 11 of the 15 females raised their hand. "Well, I'll figure out something. In the mean time, here." He made a roll of cash appear out of thin air in front of each of them, making them gasp. "Sustain yourselves with that for the next week or so. I gotta get some permissions for things like buildings or even immigration, so make due. Wave has a good bit of food right now, so you'll be fine. And don't worry about Gato; he'll be dead by tomorrow. You have my word."

They each nodded happily, glad they'd get another chance at life. A few of them bowed to him. "Thank you, Naruto-sama!" He brushed them off, a small smirk on his face. "Just Naruto is fine." As he walked to the door, about to push it open, he looked back at them with some advice. "Don't let this experience cripple you. Push past it, or they win and I may as well have not rescued you. With that, said, how many of you were actually taken by them and feel as though you are pregnant." A few of them raised they're hands.

Naruto sighed, expecting as much. Turning back around, he addressed them. "Well, those of you who do, line up in front of me." They did as they were told after a bit of hesitation. Naruto dropped to one knee in front of the first one, putting a hand on her stomach after raising the fabric.

She squirmed at the contact, feeling uncomfortable, but as he did no more, she allowed it. Naruto, on the other hand, was focusing on nature chakra, trying to discern any new life within her, as he hadn't learned the technique that would tell him whether someone was pregnant or not.

Thankfully for the girl in front of him, she was fine. "Well, maybe you were lucky enough for the scumbag that took you to be impotent, or maybe you were just that lucky. Either way, you're fine." Moving onto the next girl, he repeated the process with results that weren't too good. "Well, you aren't as fortunate. As of right now, there is an extremely slowly growing group of cells inside you with a life force that differs from yours ever so slightly. I can remove it, if you wish." She nodded vigourously, giving Naruto permission to do it.

Focusing on his youki, he made sure to align it with her own chakra, changing it ever so slightly so that her body wouldn't be damaged by it. "You'll feel a rush, but don't worry; it's normal." He then pushed as much of his youki as he thought her body could handle without becoming addicted to it into her womb, centering it as best he could around the growing part inside of her. It was quickly destroyed, only being a small amount of cells, compared to a body, along with the fact that it didn't have the same signature as the lady, allowing it to feel to corrosive effects of unfiltered youki.

He repeated this process with the next 4 girls, either confirming they were with or without child, and, as they wanted no reminders of their stay, ending the life before it could grow. _'Rest in piece, future children. Wasn't your fault.'_

With that out of the way, he turned around to the door and asked them whether or not they were ready. Those who he rid of children were in the process of recovering, their bodies still slightly hopped up on his youki. Rolling his eyes, he concentrated on slowly drawing out any youki left in there out of their bodies; he forgot that their chakra systems weren't flowing like a shinobi's was, so it'd last much longer in them. After they were finally ready, he pushed the solid iron doors, still holding them together with chakra.

As he walked out, the women behind him, he used his chakra in the air to make the building collapse, hitting walls at their base really hard, pummeling in the roof, etc. The doors were the only thing left standing, which he then let fall apart with the snap of his fingers. _'Oh yeah! Still a fucking BAMF!' _He then left the women in the care of the village until he finished what he needed to for his plan. And what a plan it was.

That night, Naruto was on the roof, waiting for everyone to be sound asleep. When Kakashi, that last one awake, finally did so, he got up, made a Seiei Bunshin to stand guard, and jumped off in the direction he felt Gato's chakra, transforming into Mujihi.

As he arrived at the man's base, he just appeared in his office, not really feeling like storming it alone at that moment. "Gato." His sudden appearance scared the man stiff as he was counting money. He fumbled around for his alarm button, dropping money all over the ground, when Mujihi said, "Stop the shit, man."

Gato looked up to see Mujihi in front of him, thoroughly relieved. "Ah, boss. What brings you down here. Just checking up, Mujihi-sama? Or did you need something?" Gato's slimy voice fit him perfectly, his short stature and creepy mustache going along with it perfectly to make Naruto want to kill him even more.

Pushing down the feeling and putting on a neutral facade, he chose to really hurt Gato, not just kill him. "Well, I came by to see how well you've been faring, and I find you starting some... new business ventures. UNAUTHORIZED business ventures."

Gato chuckled, thinking he was dealing with a child. "Ah, well, I just decided to move things along, as I hadn't heard from you in a while."

Mujihi sighed, clearly annoyed. "I SPECIFICALLY told you to just OCCUPY AND OPERATE from wave, not cripple it! Konoha shinobi are drawn here, and not just any shinobi either!"

Gato leaned back in his chair, a little nervous. "Yes, I know. The copy ninja is here as well, along with some rather skilled no name brats. But Uzumaki-sama is on the team, right?"

Mujihi nodded. "I know. And that's the only reason that you're alive right now, Gato. This is going in our favor based on random chance, but that doesn't get you off the hook. But, we'll discuss that when Uzumaki leaves wave, as their presence complicates things. Actually... how much help have you hired? I had to... eliminate around 50 of them today due to their activities, but past that, I don't know." Gato nodded, giving him a rundown of his forces. _'Well, fuck us. He has another 2 nuke-nin and 3 more coming in, these S-Ranked... damn, I need to end this, but I can't just kill him, because the S-Ranks could react violently. Maybe I could just pay them off...'_

Shaking his head of his thoughts, he asked Gato something. "When do you plan on storming the bridge?" Gato smiled. "Tomorrow. I was trying to get a bit of human trafficking going before I let the bandits have fun in town, but since you decided to stop that, I'll just go tomorrow. Zabuza is back up now, so he'll be going along his team and that Ao guy and bear guy. Their names weren't important to me. But, the three S-Ranked ones should arrive in a few hours, in time for the assault, if a bit late."

Mujihi pretended to think for a moment. "Well, have Zabuza and co. attack Uzumaki-dono. He can handle them. But ALL the others should focus on his team and the bridge builder. It'll be easier that way, because once they fall, Uzumaki-dono can just stop fighting and this'll all be over. I have a new area set up for you to start on, but DON'T FUCK IT UP! Got it? This one is outside of Hi no Kuni, so be prepared to travel." Gato nodded, completely oblivious that his death was nearing.

Disappearing from Gato's office and transforming back into Naruto, he appeared in Kakashi's room, which he shared with Sai, making sure to only wake Kakashi. As the man shot out of bed, ready to kick some ass, Naruto grabbed his hand and brought them outside. "Kakashi, it's me, Naruto." Kakashi then relaxed, though he was still a bit wary.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto just started talking, not caring about Kakashi's suspicions. "I went to Gato just now, and I found out that he plans on raiding wave before leaving. Tomorrow. I couldn't have killed him because he has other nukenin who I KNOW will just take what they want from the village, along with the mass of thugs he has, so I convinced him that I wanted to join him. Don't worry too much, but we may have to face three S-Rank shinobi, from what I know, along with Ao Rokusho, the guy who stole the Raijin from Konoha, and a man known as Kumagawa from Iwa. Their both in the bingo book, so you can look them up." He paused to let Kakashi digest the information he was just given.

Rubbing his temples, he looked at Naruto. "Okay, so what's your plan. This better be good, else we're all dead."

Naruto nodded, noting that Kakashi was in his ANBU mode, so he got serious as well. "Their going to sick Zabuza and his whole group on me. I can handle them and likely convert them to our side, as Gato doesn't intend to pay them at all. That adds to our forces for the battle, but then you have to hold off both Ao and Kumagawa. It shouldn't be too hard, but kill them as quickly as possible, because I have no clue how much time we'll have until the S-Ranks arrive; Gato told me they might be late, but I don't put much stock into his words.

"He'll also appear on the bridge to taunt Tazuna before he dies, so I can end him there, but the genin need to hold off, and if possible eliminate, all the bandits. They number around three hundred and will be coming by boat in groups. I'm supposed to be on their side, and they know it, so I can't take out the boats they'll be arriving on. I'll signal you when they arrive, but at least two of them will make it, since Zabuza will be on one and the other two will be on one or two more, each knowing how to counter that if they see it. This is the best I can do with the amount of info I have, but this should be fine until the S-Ranks get here. Then, I'll get the genin out with a clone or something while we, hopefully including Zabuza and co., take them. Seem alright?"

Kakashi thought for a while, going over the possibilities in his head. "About how many bandits per ship? How skilled are they?" He didn't need to say be detailed, as it was protocol in ANBU.

Naruto had to think, really scouring his mind for info on the bandits. "For a normal ship, only around twenty, but Gato has some larger ones, which he'll likely bring because he intends to leave Nami no Kuni after this, and those can hold up to 100 comfortably. He only has two of those, though, and they'll probably be carrying a bunch of his stuff, so the two combined will likely only carry about one hundred twenty of them. The rest will come in groups of twenty by boat. Don't hit either of the big boats, since Gato's on one of them and I have to kill him in front of the bandits so I can assert my dominance and tell them to leave before they overwhelm the genin with sheer numbers. Otherwise I'll have to kill them all, which'll be a waste of chakra before a big fight. As for the bandits, they are generally wannabe swordsmen. Some have formal training, and a few were former samurai. He's accumulated an "elite guard" of sorts that know how to use chakra to some degree, so the ones closest to him and his stuff will likely be more skilled."

Naruto stopped and sighed, waiting for Kakashi to respond. Kakashi, on the other hand, was thinking of what they needed to pull through this ordeal. While Kakashi was thinking, Naruto felt a shiver travel down his spine. _'Oh god no... That better have just been a stray...'_ He tried to extend his senses to find whatever had made him feel like that, and he began to get residual youki in the air towards the mountain he blew a hole through, and it was getting stronger, closer. _'Okay, it doesn't feel too strong, and it's a long way off. Once it feels me, it'll just leave. I hope.'_ His mind occupied, he didn't even hear Kogo and Kurama tell him not to worry about it.

Kakashi sighed at that moment, bringing Naruto out of his trance. "Well, I think that's the best we can do. We'll probably get an A-Rank mission's pay for this, if not S-Rank, which'll look good on our records, but you should tell them about this. You know more about the situation that I do. But, is it safe for me to use it yet?"

Naruto nodded. "You could've for the past few days, but I only waited to make sure there was nothing wrong. Everything's been going fine, but just remember, if you get a feeling, just go with it. You'll stronger for it." Kakashi nodded, putting a hand over his covered eye, bringing up his head band. As he opened the eye, he focused on retracting chakra from it.

To his shock, it actually became normal, turning a deep onyx black. Blinking at the odd feeling of not having a constantly activated Sharingan draining his reserves, even when closed, he looked around, having normal sight for the first time in a long time. "Thanks, Naruto. This'll be rather helpful." He got a nod from the boy who returned to his spot on the roof, waiting for morning and standing as stock still as a sentinel, head pointed at the mountain he damaged.

Noon the following day, they were all, sans Naruto, at the bridge, waiting with Tazuna as they worked on the bridge. Naruto was at Tazuna's home in case Gato tried anything unauthorized. Looking at the sun, Naruto saw that it was about time for Tazuna to call the lunch break. His chakra strings were in a 24/7 activated state since last night, as he wanted to be ready. It was a good thing too, as he felt two thugs pop out of the forest, slicing up trees unnecessarily as they went. He didn't even glance at them, just send his strings to slice them to bits. Trying to find anymore that were gonna come, and coming up with nothing, he just left a clone there to look after Inari and Tsunami as he went to the bridge to tell them that it was going to begin soon.

Appearing behind the group as they stared into the ocean, he cleared his through, making most of them almost attack him, except for Hinata, who was used to scares from him by now. "It's me. I just caught two of Gato's thugs trying to get to Tazuna's family. There were no more coming, but they were probably a good indicator that he's coming. Tell Tazuna to give his workers the rest of the day off, for their own safety." Kakashi sent Sai to do that as they went back to scanning the waters for Gato and his men.

Naruto looked at that bridge, thinking about how well he could fight in such a space. Kurama, who'd been watching the past few hours excitedly, made a suggestion that made him face-palm. **'Why don't you just make the rest of the bridge and get the old fart out of here?'**

Thankfully, he could justify not doing that. 'Well, I can't just do that because it would tip off Gato that I'm not on his side.' Kogo, who was just waking up, yawned before giving an answer. **'Just make it big enough that you have enough space, but don't finish it. Simple as that. Now, Kurama! Back rub!'** At his grumbling, she growled. **'Now.'**

As he made his way to do whatever, Naruto muted them, amused by their interaction and thankful that they could lighten the mood. _'I needed that. I may end up using THAT today, so the moral boost was much appreciated.'_

With that on his mind, he told Tazuna that he was going to making his bridge wider and finishing some more of it for the extra length. The man welcome him to do so, if he could, which he did with gusto. Drawing out some of Kogo's youki, which she had more of that Kurama, he focused on forming it into the bridge after saturating the entire structure with it. He had to get a constant stream of it to just accomplish that much, so he pulled some from Kurama as well to make it, pushing all of it into stretching the structure before copy-pasting parts of it. He too the beams that ran down the center and made two copies in either edge, making the thing more balanced. Then, he too the part that he just created and made a copy of it on the end of the bridge three times, lengthening it considerably.

When he was done, he opened his eyes to the awestruck look from Tazuna and Yakumo, the rest having gotten used to what Naruto could do with chakra. He shrugged before addressing everyone. "I can sense Gato coming now. He was probably waiting for the two that didn't come back, but now he's on the move. Just so you know, you can, and probably SHOULD, release every seal and take ff every weight for this battle." As he spoke, some ships became visible in the fog that limited their vision of the ocean.

Eventually, they all landed, making their way onto the bridge as the ninja watched with increasing levels of trepidation. Even Naruto was a bit worried, not wanting to go all out in any fight someone would survive. Gato was the last one out, standing in front of his army proudly, looking at Naruto and presumably winking under his glasses.

Naruto sent a small smirk at the man, making Gato's grin turn into a full-blown, cruel smile. "Well, it seems I caught you during your lunch break, Tazuna-san. I hope you don't mind." Tazuna began shaking, not being clued in on the plan. "Well, if you're going to be so rude about it, Tazuna, I think I'll just blow this joint. Get 'em boys! Bring me the girls before you move onto the town!" They roared in agreement before rushing the shinobi, who stood their ground.

Zabuza, Haku, Meizu, and Gozu all engaged Naruto in combat. Kumagawa and Ao didn't even bother with their normal banter and just charged Kakashi, not wanting to play around with the Copy Ninja and get themselves killed. Every bandit there just went at the genin, attempting to overwhelm them.

The bandits were being held of decently well, mostly thanks to Hinata. Naruto taught her the chakra flow technique and scythe combat, so she was able to keep most of them back, but she was quickly beginning to tire. Surashi was using the rudimentary lightning manipulation Naruto managed to teach her along with the few lightning jutsu she knew to electrocute the bandits as best she could, water from Hinata's water covered scythe becoming the conductor. Sai made a veritable zoo to cover him and immobilize bandits as Yakumo incapacitated, or even killed them with her special genjutsu. Unfortunately, they were beginning to tire, even after taking soldier pills, their techniques taking a decent toll on their bodies due to their magnitude and level.

They were only through about a fourth of the bandits when Sai had to decrease the number of beasts he summoned with his technique. Yakumo had to take another soldier pill to keep fighting, genjutsu being her main method of attack. It was a risky move, but she had to. Surashi had to take out two kunai and, along with the chakra drained Hinata, hack and slash their way through the bandits. They covered each other well, Hinata's range and power with the scythe and Surashi's speed and accuracy with the kunai complementing each other well.

Kakashi was another story. Ao had immediately gone for the kill, taking out the Raijin no Ken(Sword of the Thunder God) and aiming for all the vitals. Despite his infamy coming from mainly the sword rather than his skill, he knew how to use it, and use it he did. Kumagawa was attacking on and off, whenever there was an opening. His claws, reminiscent of those on a bear, flashed toward Kakashi whenever he was thrown off his guard or was about to land a blow on Ao.

Kakashi jumped back at that point, not wanting to push his luck too much. He hadn't gotten anything more than scratched in the exchange, but he hadn't landed a blow either. Thankfully, he got to increase his reserves a lot by just training with Naruto, so he activated a dual Raikiri after sending a weak wave of water at them as a distraction and to get them wet. Now, just a touch from him would likely end them, if not cripple them. He didn't take the time to gloat, however, and rushed them, both hands shooting out to grab their throats.

Kumagawa was a big man, rather bear like, actually(A/N: Hence, I named him KUMAgawa) so he couldn't really dodge, like Ao did. Instead, he tried to bat away Kakashi's hand, a fatal mistake that he only realized after he touched the man and got electrocuted. He fell to the ground in a smoking heap, his hair standing on end. With the entirety of his attention now focused on the rouge Konoha shinobi, Kakashi smirked, moving at full speed with his seals on and Sharingan active. Ao quickly had two fists of lightning through his chest, ending his life brutally. From the hands of the dead man, the Raijin fell. "B-but... I was invincible..." were his last words as he fell off Kakashi's de-lightninged fists.

During these events, Naruto had been fighting with Zabuza's group. He didn't have the time or energy to spare to face them in a zanbatou combat like he usually would, so he pulled out his usual weapons. A pair of bladed tonfa with retractable spikes on either end, which he integrated into his personal fighting style. Rushing Meizu and Gozu first to thin the herd, so to speak, he was annoyed when they split up and tried to catch him in their chains.

The main part of how he fought was to keep moving, never let your momentum fade, so he ducked under the chain and flipped one of the tonfa outwards , catching the chain. He then swung it towards Zabuza and Haku, who'd jumped away when he rushed the group. Zabuza dodged but the two brothers were knocked unconscious by the impact, accomplishing what Naruto originally intended.

While they were flying, Naruto wasn't stagnant. He kept the chain wrapped around his tonfa slightly, using the energy he put into the throw to give him a boost as he dashed at the masked Haku, knocking said mask off of the distracted nin and sending Haku flying. Pausing a moment, he looked on as Haku recovered. "Cute. Maybe we can grab lunch when this is all over." Haku flushed. "I'm a guy!"

Naruto smirked as he turned to block zabuza's strike, poised to split him in two from head to toe. "Sure you are, Haku-chan. We can confirm later, if we need to."

Zabuza seemed to get a bit enraged at this as Haku blushed. Naruto winked at him/her before jumping away from Zabuza. As he landed, Haku leaped at him, pulling him into a deadlock with a single senbon, a rather impressive feat. He/she stared at him with a bit of anger before doing a few one-handed signs, making his eyes widen. "Hijutsu: Sensatsu Hyosho(Secret Technique: A Thousand Flying Ice Needls of Death)!" Holding him there in a deadlock until the needles were almost upon them, Haku jumped away at the last possible moment, using impressive speed.

Naruto, on the other hand, focused rather hard, getting an accurate estimate of the technique before choosing how to counter it. _'Wow, there may ACTUALLY be a thousand of these fucking things. Welp, may as well just deflect them all.'_ Loosening his grip on his tonfa, he spun them continuously, moving his arms so the spinning weapons could block each and every as he finished, Zabuza appeared above him, brining his Kubikiri Boucho down on Naruto's head.

Gripping his tonfa in their normal position, he thrust his hands above his head, forming an X that zabuza's blade landed on top of, making a light crater beneath them. With his hands occupied, Haku sent some senbon at his undefended midsection, which he stopped in midair with a thought. Sending them back at Haku with another thought, he pulled one arm away, letting Zabuza's blade fall to the ground, digging itself in their due to its weight.

Sending a punch to his midsection, Naruto shot his hand out, nailing him with the end of his tonfa. HARD. As Zabuza keeled over, Naruto kept his hand there, leaning over a bit to his ear. "I don't have much time so listen up. Gato's plan is to sick his bandits on you and I after we tire each other out, same for Kakashi, and collect the bounty on ALL our heads. I'll tap the rest to you in Morse Code." After that he jumped back, having said all of that in the span of 4-5 seconds.

Zabuza got back up as Haku rushed to his side, blocking him with his/her body. "I will not let you harm Zabuza-sama!" Naruto sighed, not enjoying what he was about to do.

Releasing a few levels of his resistance seals, he blurred in front of Haku, sending a knockout punch to her stomach. The blow did just that, sending her into the embrace of darkness moments after it connected. Blurring back to where Gozu and Meizu were, he laid Haku out next to them before speeding at Zabuza, locking blades. Soon, he managed to tap out. "Haku's fine. Up in a few. Brothers out for a while." That whole time, he was pounding on Zabuza's sword, purposefully not landing any hits.

He went on the defensive after that, letting Zabuza's thunderous strikes literally speak for themselves. "Your plan?"

He nodded lightly before going on the offensive. "3 S-Ranks incoming. Team on them. Then kill Gato. You keep funds for Kiri. Discuss ending war after."

Zabuza nodded before going back on the offensive, tapping out one last message. "Okay. Light spar until then." He then proceeded to kick Naruto in the chest.

A few minutes later, Haku came to. Zabuza broke off, telling him/her of the plan. He told Haku to tend to the twins until they woke, because they might need the backup. He then went back to Naruto, attempting to kick him in the chest once more. His leg was almost broken that time.

After a few minute of light sparring back and forth, the bandits had had their numbers thinned out by the genin, who were thoroughly exhausted that that point. Kakashi had long since jumped in to help them, tossing the Riajin to Surashi.

As there was only around 30 bandits left, Gato's voice drew everyone's attention. "Ah, there you are! I was wondering how if you were gonna be no-shows."

The voice of one who was here to kill sounded in response. "I don't care what you thought. Which of them is my target."

Gato smiled cruelly before answering. "It's not just your target. I'm paying all three of you to kill every person on this bridge who isn't on my side. Every shinobi you see over there, you end. I'll split the bounties too, so don't worry." A monotone voice sounded this time. "I will allow you to handle this... Kisame."

Smiling in blood thirsty glee, Kisame brought the sword on his back down. Behind him, both Itachi and Shisui stood, Itachi staring at everyone in his apathetic manner and Shisui picking his ear and observing the scenery, trying to find something interesting on the ocean.

Naruto looked at the bandits and, since there were so few left, decided just to finish them off. He began to fight seriously, putting his hands together, palms and fingertips touching, and pulling them apart, strings attached to them. He threw his hands to the side, making the strings encircle him before he sent them around the bandits, slicing them to pieces. His team looked at him in shock, never having seen him kill so brutally before. _'Gato tried to betray me anyway.'_

Intertwining his fingers, he pushed them outwards, getting a satisfied crack after a few moment. 'Think I should release them all? This IS an S-Rank, after all.'

Kurama, who was apparently still giving Kogo a back rub, answered in an unhappy voice. **'Oh PLEASE kick this guys ass. I am so bored right about now.'**

Kogo silenced him. **'Less talking, more rubbing.'** Chuckling lightly at their antics, much to the confusion of everyone, he put his hands into a half tora seal before saying, "Kai."

Now, Naruto had a lot of seals on his body. Chakra regulatory seals that weren't in use normally, a few levels of gravity seals, a good amount of resistance seals, generally in active and forgotten stealth and suppression seals, etc. Among them were chakra suppression, absorption, and disruption seals, seals that he used to practice his horrible, by his standards, chakra control, with the side effect of increasing his reserves. He's had them on and been increasing them for years, only having taken it off when he faced people like Yagura. So the sheer amount of chakra he had even surprised him when he released the seal.

All around him, there was a swirl of dark blue chakra, which was soon replaced by red-trimmed black. It covered him completely, so when he reappeared, people were wondering what happened to him. He'd grown a good few inches, coming up to Zabuza's height, but his body didn't just stretch. It filled in, his body getting wider, his muscles growing stronger, his bones becoming harder, his skin getting tougher, even his chakra coils getting bigger and more reiliant. Everything about him increased in relation to the enormous jump in chakra he just experienced, including his capacity for natural energy, which was currently rushing into him.

Looking down at his hand and flexing, he smiled. "I forgot what it felt like to not be restrained so much." Looking up at Kisame, he wondered out loud. "I wonder if I have more chakra than you, Mr. Montai Biju? Meh, I probably do."

With that, he smirked, preparing to kick some ass. "Kakashi, never mind about our plan. Take the kiddies and get them out of here."

Kakashi was already about to protest, but Surashi beat him to it. "You CAN'T expect me to just leave when BOTH of them are right in front of me!" With that, she popped another soldier pill before charging at Itachi and Shisui.

Shisui just sidestepped her, sticking his foot out, while Itachi kneed her in the face. As she was falling to the ground, nose bloody but not broken, Shisui grabbed her. "Bro! Isn't she your sister!?"

Itachi shook his head, finally closing his ever watching eyes for just a moment. "I have no family anymore."

Shisui hissed. "Your cousin's standing right next to you, ya know!" At Itachi's uncaring silence, he sighed, throwing Surashi at Kakashi, the deactivated Raijin still clutched in her hand. "Just take Naruto's advice and take her away, Kakashi. We won't gang up on him."

Kakashi looked at Naruto uncertainly, but was shooed away by the boy... man... teen... whatever description fit him at that point. Kakashi made two clones, one to grab the exhausted Sai and Yakumo, the other to grab Tazuna while he grabbed Hinata. He released his seals as well, though the boost wasn't as impressive as Naruto. After he ran at high speed until he was a good distance away from the nukenin, he shunshin-ed away, arriving at Tazuna's house.

As Kakashi went to take care of his team, Naruto looked at Zabuza and Haku. "You guys take a break too. I need to, ah, warm up a bit." He opened his hand and Gato flew to it. He threw the scared midget to Zabuza, telling him to have fun.

Kisame narrowed his eyes a bit at that. "So, it's really you, huh." Looking Naruto up and down, he took in all his physical features. "You look different."

Naruto nodded. "I, uh, dyed my hair and got tan. Don't worry about money; I'll pay you after you spar with me. I haven't faced Samehada in ages."

Shisui raised a brow at this. "Oh, so you know each other, then?"

Kisame nodded, brandishing his blade, Samehada, with his grin widening. "Oh yeah. I met the gaki back when I was leaving Kiri. The brat was strong back then, but I wonder about now..." With that thought, he jumped at Naruto, making a crater in the bridge as his downward swing was blocked.

Looking, he was shocked to see that it was blocked by Naruto's bare hand. Naruto grinned at him. "This is a technique I can only use when I release a few chakra seals. With all of them off, it becomes second nature. I call it Hierro." With that, he sunk his fist into Kisame's gut, smirking at he heard Gato scream from Meizu and Gozu's claws.

Appearing behind Kisame, he kicked him upwards before appearing behind him again, slamming him down with a leg drop. "Oh, it feels good to fight at full power."

Shisui looked at Itachi for a moment before looking back a the two, before looking back at Itachi. "Should we jump in now? He's getting his ass handed to him."

Itachi shook his head. "Leader-sama accepted this mission because it paid well. He's gonna pay us anyway, so there is no need to exert ourselves further."

Shisui sulked a bit. "Oh come on! We never get to do anything with Kisame taking all the good fights."

Itachi glanced at him sideways. "I never said you had to stay back, just that you had no need to involve yourself. Be my guest." With that, Shisui jumped in, a grin on his face.

Naruto, who'd been batting around Kisame while avoiding his sword after feeling the draining effect on his reserves, was suddenly blindsided by a blur known as Shisui. He barely ducked under a strike from his tanto, which had been engulfed in flames.

Landing, he patted his hair, smelling a bit of it being burnt. "Oi! Watch the hair!"

Shisui smirked as he blurred in front of Naruto again, swinging his flame covered tanto again. "Sorry." Naruto scowled as he focused on dodging one of the top ten fastest ninja in the elemental nations. _'I guess I have chakra to spare.'_ With that thought, he used his teleportation technique to appear behind him, kicking him into the water.

He dodged a strike from Kisame with the maneuver as well, so he smirked as he sent Kisame into the water. Looking down at them from the bridge he shook his head. "Why are you taking it so easy on me? Trust me, I can take it."

Kisame looked at Shisui and a big grin came over both their faces. Shisui used the shunshin to get behind Naruto and slam him into the water from behind, though he turned in time to block the actual strike. Kisame was waiting for him to hit the water at that point, his hands clasped. "Suiton: Goshokuzame(Water style: Five Feeding Sharks)!"

The moment Naruto hit the water, he was dragged under by some sharks made of suiton chakra. They took chunks of him as he sliced them to bits with his strings. As he regained his bearings underwater, he healed with his regenerative abilities and controlled the strings to the point that not a single shark could get within a foot of him. Looking up, he saw Kisame looking down at him with a grin. Scowling lightly, he thought of what to do as the strings began to move seemingly on their own. _'I could still use that, but they aren't actually threats to my life right now. Guess it's just Kraken time.'_

Concentrating on his water manipulation, he thought, _'Release the Kraken!... Oh, I've wanted to say that for a while!'_ as tentacles of water rose from the depths and tried to wrap around the two S-Rank shinobi. At their core, each tentacle held a chakra string, meaning it was all completely controlled by Naruto.

He tried everything he could to capture the two, but Kisame's sword managed to destroy every one that managed to near him, and Shisui was just that fast, too fast for the technique had had such little practice on compared to the others. _'Well, fuck. Fine, good old fashion throw-down it is, then.'_ He kept the technique up as he shot up from the water, catching Shisui off guard and sending him sky high. Looking at Kisame, who was still slashing at tentacles, he appeared above him, slamming him into the water so hard that a hole was still there when he looked down, leading straight to Kisame's stunned form.

Kakashi returned at that point, finding Zabuza cheering for Kisame on the bridge, Itachi and Haku watching on silently, Gozu and Meizu torturing Gato, and Naruto taking on two S-Rank shinobi. "Well, it seems like I missed quite a bit."

His voice drew the attention of everyone there, even Kisame, who shot out of the water at that point. Naruto grinned at him. "You can take Shisui of you want. The fucker's fast as all hell, though."

Shisui nodded at that. "Damn right I am!"

Kakashi made a confused look at how relaxed they were as they fought, which everyone caught onto. Zabuza explained, smirking. "Naruto realized he could just pay them off using Gato's funds or something like that, so they're just fighting for the sake of it right now." At that moment, Naruto stiffened and looked at the sky, everyone noticing and looking up with him to find a group of floating... people?

One was a woman dressed somewhat skimpily, her... plentiful breasts covered by a tube top, a bit of fur on the top and bottom. On her arms, she had sleeves that went all the way from her bicep to her hand, wrapping her middle finger on each hand. On her legs she had knee high heels, leaving he legs out in the open. Her crotch was covered by what could only be described as just fancy panties, tufts of fur on the side making them seem like more that they were. The oddest things about her, though, were a pair of bat-like wings that came out her back, a tail that had a spade on its end wrapping around her, and two horns on her head. The horns popped out of flowing red hair, a deep shade that matched her almost glowing eyes.(A/N: I made this one up on my own!)

Beside her, there was a little girl with rather large wings bat like wings as well. She was dressed in a gothic lolita fashion(A/N: ...To the google you go, random person who doesn't get it.), her black hair flowing down her back, all the way to her knees. She had on a green hair band with black accents, which went along with the rest of her clothes well. The frills of her dress were dark green, as were her eyes. Her skin was rather pale, but glowed in an otherworldly way that no normal person could.

Naruto looked at Kisame a moment before glancing back at the two females. "So, what are two dem- lovely ladies doing out here?" Despite the calm with which he said it, his mind was in turmoil, evident by the fact that he didn't even notice the looks he got. _'Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, OH FUCK! Of all the times, they come AFTER I've been fighting with two S-Rank shinobi.'_ They seemed to sense a bit of distress coming from him, as they smiled at him, the gothic one creepily and the horned one seductively.

The horned one answered. **"Oh, we were just looking for the one with the deliciously large amount of youki."**

Said youki seemed to disappear as Naruto focused on suppressing it ALL, covering it with his chakra in attempt to disguise its disappearance. "Well, I'd have felt a source like that near by, so I'd say you should keep searching. Good luck though." Appearing on the bridge, he looked at Kakashi. "I think it's about time we retired for the day. The mood's ruined." Everyone noticed how much he wanted to get away from the two, but no one could say why.

The horned one appeared in front of Naruto with speeds that made him have to blink twice to make sure he wasn't seeing things. **"Oh, and where are you going? You may not be exuding youki, but your chakra is rather close. You knew what we were too, so..."** She appeared behind Naruto this time, making him stiffen as she draped her arms around him. **"Hows about you introduce yourself, cutie." **

His body tensed s much that it almost hurt. Every muscle in his body was about ready to rip itself away from their tendons. His mind was screaming at him to run, as were Kogo and Kurama. **'Ningen, she's got too much youki for you to handle her! Every natural demon has exceptional control, and she'll use every ounce of it to crush you if she gets the chance!'** Kogo was just about the same. **'GET AWAY FROM HER, NARUTO-KUN! SHE'LL KILL YOU IF YOU'RE NOT STRONG ENOUGH!' **

At that, he stopped. 'Not strong enough? With your help, I can beat her.'

Kogo shook her head mentally, Naruto getting the feeling that she was doing that. **'You can't control more than two tails from both of us. You keep forgetting how much harder it is when there's two of us here.'**

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed before muting the voices in his head. "Naruto Uzumaki. I feel like a demon because my chakra had contact with a demon when I was born. You may have heard of him. Kyuubi no Yoko, I think it was."

The demon's eyes widened. **"Oh, no wonder yours is so strong for a human, unlike these runts."**

The previously silent shinobi were a bit insulted, but none more so that Kisame. His massive, potent chakra was one of his most prided areas, right after kenjutsu. "WHAT WAS THAT, YOU BITCH!" He charged her, bringing his sword down on her shoulder, only to have it blocked by a wing. He was then thrown back so hard that he flew off the end of the bridge, skipping like a stone for a good few yards.

She gave a uncaring "Hm" at his interruption. **"His wasn't bad, I guess, but I just want to play with YOU for a bit..."**

Naruto was, while a bit aroused, scared for his life. He didn't let it show, though, as he smirked confidently. "Well then, how about you tell me your name before we go any further."

She squealed a bit, happy that he was playing her little game. **"Oh, where are my manners?"**

The other girl who'd been floating above them came down as well. **"Yes, where ARE they?"**

The girl still draped around Naruto stuck her tongue out at the one who just came before appearing next to her. **"Well, I'm Zeniah Lilin, of the Main House of Lilith. Currently the strongest succubus in existence."** She flaunted herself as she spoke, winking at Naruto, completely aware of how nervous that one statement made him.

The other rolled her eyes before introducing herself. **"I am the vampiress, Dorthee Beau Pre. I can tell that you know of the name."**

In his mind, Naruto shouted at Kurama and Kogo, 'GET YOUR ASSES OUT HERE!' They sighed before complying.

He jumped back from the two, getting rid of his shirt with a thought, he slammed his hand into his seal, releasing the two bijuu with as much of their youki as he could handle releasing. Unfortunately, he could only let them out with two tails each, but that was enough. "Both of you, go with Kakashi and Zabuza to Tazuna's home and erect a barrier. Try and let it cover as much of the front of wave as possible."

He was deadly serious as he spoke, leaving no room for argument from anyone, yet Kakashi was having none of that. "Stand down, genin. I'll handle these two; you were just fighting two S-Rank shinobi, while I'm fine. I'll use IT if I must."

Naruto was having none of that, especially since he wanted no one to see what he was about to do. Releasing his hold on his youki, he let it flare, much to the surprise and happiness of the two demons in front of him. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! **NOW!**" Everyone was shocked, having never really seen him lose his temper like that.

He looked back at the two who were waiting for him as everyone left, Shisui and Itachi taking that as their cue to go, accepting the lack of pay for not getting involved in whatever was happening as they grabbed Kisame's unconscious body. Naruto called out to them, as Kakashi was out of earshot. "I'll pay you another time; I never forget a debt."

When everyone was gone, he looked at them and smirked. "I don't like an audience to my performances. Now, let me just make sure of something. What is it that you want, exactly?"

They smiled in sync with one another, the big breasted one speaking. **"We were looking for a mate in whoever had that glorious youki. I don't really mind that you're a halfling if you prove that all that youki isn't just for show."**

Naruto grimaced, having expected as much. "Well then, we'll see what'll happen after we're done. If you can still walk, that is!" With that, he split into four, each feeling distinctly like the one who was just in front of them but oddly different.

One was just Mujihi, the other his blue-ified twin known as Kyodo. Above them, floating in the air, was Nagare, the dark skinned one of the group. In the middle of Kyodo and Mujihi was someone new.

He was as tall as Nagare, who was the tallest of the original, but he looked like... Minato. He was tall and exuded an aura of power, but had no real chakra coming from him. His face was similar to Minato's, except for the whisker marks, and he wore a black muscle shirt that was tight enough to just be skin, as it showed every bit of muscle underneath it. His face was blank as he stared at the somewhat interested demonesses. His hair, which was tied in a pony tail, flowed behind him in the wind as he waited for one of them to move.

Since no one was moving, the one in the middle, said, "I was gonna be a gentleman and say ladies first, but it doesn't seem like you two mind... Kyodo! Mujihi!"

They both said, "Hai, Naruto-sama," as they rushed the two demons, Mujihi with a large scythe forming in one hand while the other was engulfed in black flames, Kyodo with both zanbatou he used against Zabuza, both crackling with lightning.

Mujihi sent a ball of black flame at them before disappearing from view, appearing above them, aiming to take off both their heads with one big swing of his scythe. They both jumped backwards, the horned one nailing Mujihi in the side with her wing as they went under him. Kyodo appeared in front of them, pulling both swords inwards to catch them between them. Each girl just put out a hand, catching the blade without a scratch. Mujihi took the opportunity to swing his scythe in an arc, trying to lop off both their heads once more, starting With Dorthee. He connected, due to it being a surprise attack, but he was barely able to draw blood.

The fact that he was able to cut her at all seemed to surprise Dorthee greatly. **"Oh, so you can actually get by my Hierro? Well, it's too bad for you that I have another layer of defense: My own blood. Nice try, though.**" With that, she batted him away with her wing in the same fashion she had before, using enough force this time to knock him out.

Kyodo was getting a bit worried, as he couldn't pull his swords out of their grip, even when they looked so relaxed, even more so when he saw how easily they knocked out Mujihi. Growling, he regained their attention as he poured his chakra into his blades, making them glow before they exploded with energy. "GATSUGA!"

The blasts took the two by surprise, making them smile as they recovered. Zeniah was the one to comment. **"Oh, so the little anomaly has some fangs. Not bad, but..."** She didn't finish her sentence as she stuck out a finger and charged up a red sphere of youki. **"Cero."** It tore through the bridge as it flew towards Kyodo.

He didn't have time to think, just act, so, on instinct, he began to spin, cutting through the cero as he charged a gatsuga on the end of his blade, using it as a saw. All the while, a red substance was seeming to flow into him, coming from the direction they disposed of Mujihi.

Originally, he was struggling to maintain the spin, the power from the blast nearly overwhelming him instantly, but as it continued, he became more and more stable until he was able to handle that much with ease. When he stopped spinning and looked at them, it was obvious why.

Both he and Mujihi were originally just manifestations of Naruto's chakra and youki respectively, so it made sense that they could merge as they did, becoming stronger. There was new person standing there, this time dressed in almost all black for his uniform, except his shirt, which was grey, and his tie, which had white stripes.

Naruto himself, who'd been looking on apprehensively, gauging their strength as best he could, looked up at Nagare. "Oi, Nagare. Back him up." As he said this, he slid his hands into a praying position, watching as Nagare backed up Kyodo, who was empowered by the fallen Mujihi. It was a fight to remember, Kyodo pulling out ceros left and right, Nagare even drawing his sword to fight, something he'd only do for those who he recognized were extremely strong.

Soon, they began to tire, though, and as separate beings, none of them could pull out anything too fancy. Nagare jumped back and brought his sword of, his hand on the wring next to the hilt as he spoke some words. "Enclose, Mercielago." The ring began to grow and spin as a black, chakra like substance began to pour from it. As it grew, the black substance began to enclose a section of the bridge in a black sphere, visible from a LONG way away. Unseen to anyone, Nagare had underwent a transformation.

His coat had stayed the same, for the most part, except for gaining a hole that went right through his chest. His skin became an extremely pale white, matching the skin of the vampire, as did his new pitch black bat wings, but he retained his band over his eyes, not needing it in the blackness that was his current domain(A/N: Think Tousen crossed with Ulqiorra, both from bleach).

None of them did, really, but against these opponents, he needed every advantage he could get. "Experience a world of complete darkness." The laughter of the two demonesses was unnerving, but Nagare didn't respond to it, opting to instead send a mental shout of 'Now!' to Kyodo.

Realizing what he was going for, Kyodo complied with his part of the technique. His hands were glowing red and blue respectively as he spoke. "Experience a world cut off from contact with all else." His blue hand glowed brilliantly for a moment before blinking away as he continued. "Experience a world of silence." His red hand glowed menacingly before shutting off in the same fashion.

Nagare spoke at that point. "You are trapped in this darkness, unable to see, to hear, to touch, to smell, to taste. Right now, you are at our mercy. I don't know why I bother to say anything; you don't even know I'm here." Through their radar like chakra sense, Nagare and Kyodo felt the two demonesses looking around confused, seeing nothing, smelling nothing, feeling nothing. The senses they had heightened just by BEING a demon were all rendered useless in an instant.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Tazuna's home, Kakashi and the rest of the team could see the large black dome that formed around the bridge. The watched in silence as they dome grew before circular markings formed on the outside, though they could only see one.

Hinata had her hands over her chest, extremely worried about Naruto. "W-what's happening over there?"

Kakashi sighed, unsure of how to answer, but Zabuza decided to be blunt. "He's fighting two demons, apparently. At least that's what he was gonna call them, and the two introduced themselves as a Succubus and... a vampire? Yeah, a vampire. I didn't think those existed, but the Gaki was scared shitless before he took them on." He shrugged before going back to sharpening his blade, an eerie sound that had become common place in the time they spent watching the bridge from afar with worry.

Surashi was unusually moody at that moment in time. "That fucker... stops me from confronting them, then sends us away before a big fight." Kakashi heard her, but despite her words, he could hear the worry in her voice. Sighing, he addressed her. "Surashi, Naruto has secrets that he doesn't want to share. If him fighting at his fullest involves them, then it would be best for us to pull back and let him do his thing. I'll try and get him to stop hiding things from us, but I make no promises." Surashi growled at that. "Oh, I'll make a promise. If he doesn't want to tell us, I'll just beat it out of him. That's a PROMISE!" Zabuza chuckled. "Oh, I'd love to see that. Naruto getting his ass beat by his little girlfriend. Ha!"

Kogo and Kurama, who'd been silent ever since they got there, looked on amused. Kogo looked over to Kurama for a moment before talking, the demonic undertone to her voice making everyone but Kurama shiver involuntarily as her voice cut through the silence that settled on the group. **"You think he's gonna go 100%?"**

Kurama nodded. **"Ningen's gonna need it, big time. Just hope he doesn't go berserk, else we'll have, like, a week long wait on our hands."**

Kogo chuckled. **"Wonder what'd come of that one."**

Kurama's laughter made the hairs on everyone's bodies stand up. **"Either a dead body, or a well fucked one! Ha!"**

With their job being as easy as create a youki barrier in front of the area they were fighting in, the two demons could chat away. Everyone had all but forgotten about their presence when they arrived, opting to look towards the bridge to discern what was happening.

Kakashi remembered that the two came from Naruto, so he began to interrogate them. "Well, I don't think we've been introduced, I'm-"

They cut him off with the wave of a hand from each of them, Kogo's hands popping out from the extra long sleeves of the formal dress she was wearing while Kurama's just mover lazily, visible as he wore no shirt. **"Don't bother; we see everything Naruto does, for the most part."**

Everyone's interest was peaked at that. Just as Yakumo went to ask just who they were, they rolled their eyes. Kurama looked at them with the slightest bit of disdain. **"Let me guess, "Who are you?", right?"** At their nod, the scoffed in sync.

Kogo sighed. **"You ningen are all the same; open as a book if you just know how to look."**

Kakashi picked up on the way they referred to them. "You say that as if you AREN'T human yourselves. Then who... what are you?" Kogo just chuckled as Kurama sighed.

Looking at each other, they decided to be forward with it. Bowing in time with one another, the introduced themselves individually. **"I am Kurama." "And I'm Kogo."** One could almost feel their smirks at that point. They raised their heads, looking right at their little audience.

Speaking in time, they continued. **"I believe you know me as the Kyuubi no Yoko. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."** The silence that followed was enough to lift the moods of the two demons, stuck dealing with humans despite their own wishes.

Kakashi reacted first, jumping in front of his students, his dual Raikiri crackling to life on both arms. He was waved off, though, as the demons didn't look threatened by him at all. Kogo was the one to answer his unspoken question. **"Don't worry; if we wanted you dead, you'd be dead right now, as would your students. Luckily for you, Naruto asked us to watch both you and this village."**

They relaxed slightly at that, realizing they were probably right, but Kakashi asked a question that made everyone think something was off. "Well, why ARE you protecting us? What are you even protecting us from?" Well, when the two demons laughed, they knew there was at least SOMETHING they were being shielded from, but they weren't sure if they wanted to know.

Kogo was the one to answer first. **"Well, remember when I attacking Konoha thirteen years ago, Hatake?"**

Before Kakashi could nod, Kurama cut in. **"YOU were attacking Konoha!? The fuck are you talking about; I was dominant at the time!"**

Kogo rolled her eyes. **"Fine, when HE was attacking that pitiful village, do you remember the feeling that our presence alone inspired in you?"** The others couldn't really say much, but Kakashi nodded warily. **"Well, we were weakened at the time, so what you felt wasn't anywhere NEAR the full force of our power, yet there were miscarriages, mutations, and suicides from just that feeling. Imagine what you felt, multiply in by two, maybe three, and you have what would be washing over wave right now, maybe even concentrated blasts of it traveling overhead."**

By the end of the explanation, Kakashi's eyes were wide. He then ran towards the barrier, trying to get to his student, thinking to save him, but he impacted with the barrier of youki, burning him slightly as he tried to push through. "LET ME OUT! I REFUSE TO LOSE ANOTHER ONE!" He charged up two Raikiri in each hand and began to lay waste to a section of the barrier, surprisingly managing to crack it with his lightning enhanced fists before they focused on the section he was attacking.

Rolling her eyes, Kurama decided to explain. **"Silly ningen, what do you think you can do for him? Right now, if he is able to lose, you'll get annihilated in an instant. We've left most of our power inside the seal that binds us to him. He won't be so easily defeated with such power at his finger tips, though he may go berserk. That's why we are out here, maintaining this barrier."** Kakashi only began to ram his fist against the barrier harder, not wanting to leave Naruto alone so easily.

Kogo had enough of what she view as foolishness from the man. Appearing behind him with shocking speed, she grabbed the man's lightning encased fist as it was about to impact with the barrier once more and threw him back. **"Even with the power boost Naruto has given you, you don't stand a chance against those two. They're upper-class demons of the higher caliber. It would take a bijuu to beat them, especially if their relationship is what I think it is. Your eyes need training of the greatest degree to come CLOSE to them before the next decade is over!"** Kakashi slumped over at the base of the tree he was thrown into. He didn't move, but everyone saw his hands trembling as he clenched and released them over and over rhythmically, trying to calm himself down, staring at the ground.

Sai, probably the person with the biggest balls there at the moment, decided to speak with them. "Um, Kogo-sama, Kurama-sama, could you please explain how it is that you're BOTH the Kyuubi? I don't quite get it." There were nods and murmurs of agreement from those who were paying attention to them instead of the storm clouds forming above the black sphere in the distance.

Kogo smirked at the boy, making him shiver slightly despite his emotionless... everything. **"Well, ningen, I'm impressed with your courage, so I'll answer you. As demons, we can have two different parts that are connected but different. The first two are the two halves of our youki, the demon equivalent of chakra, for simplicity's sake. We can split apart, like Kurama and I, and merge together. Unfortunately for us, your fucking Yondaime Hokage sealed me in Naruto ALONE, splitting us in half since he didn't trust the Shinigami's seal that he chose to hold our full power; a dumb move, but understandable. As such, we can't become the full Kyuubi that you think of, but since we regenerate chakra and the split was made permanent due to the hand of a god, we have regained power to the point where we are both a bit stronger than the complete version of ourselves was when we attacked Konoha. **

**"Sadly, we can only take a little bit of our power with us when we want to leave the seal that binds us to Naruto, so we are severely weakened at the moment."** She didn't quite say HOW Naruto got both of them, but if her audience noticed, they didn't comment, which was probably a smart move.

Kurama scoffed at her when she was done. **"Well, aren't you the talkative one today?"** He shook his head before gesturing to the black sphere. **"You really should be paying attention to that fight; the moment he loses it, we have to be ready."** She nodded, going back to sensing out the fight going on between Naruto and the two demons, ignoring the suspicious looks they were getting from the shinobi.

* * *

While they were talking, Nagare and and Kyodo were fighting their asses off, trying to eradicate the two demons within the darkness they were trapped in. Unfortunately, they were treated to a surprise when they found the demons could still dodge, though not as effectively.

Things got worse when they found the two could regenerate just as well, if not better that they could. Kyodo, after removing an arm from Dorthee and feeling it regrow, groaned. "This is going nowhere REAL fast."

Nagare looked at him as he backed up and prepared a major technique. "Well, step it up then. If hitting them this hard does nothing, hit them harder." He put his hands together and a green energy formed between them. Pulling his hands apart, he focused on the two demons trapped in his technique, using nature chakra to "see". "Lanza de Relampago(Spear/Lance of Lightning)."

A spear formed from the cylinder of green energy that he grasped, a concentrated look on his face as a concerned one come over Kyodo's. "You sure you can control that thing?"

Nagare shook his head. "Not really, but we need the big guns here. Prepare you Kirin, Kyodo. It's needed in a fight of this scale."

Kyodo looked uncertain, but Nagare put his worries at ease. "Think of this as fighting two Yaguras. Only, they didn't start a war, they just want to screw Naruto-sama." Kyodo sighed before nodding. Nagare threw the spear at the two recovering demons, "watching" as their unseeing eyes grew wide and, for the fist time in the fight, they dived out of the way, the spear barely missing them. Unfortunately for them, the spear had a rather large blast radius.

A pillar of green energy rose from the impact area, centered on the place the spear impacted the ground and easily encompassed the two demons. When the blast faded, there was a burnt pair of bodies there, but, to Nagare's, Kyodo's, and even the spectating Naruto's shock, the two bodies just disintegrated, one turning into red particles of youki while the other turned into what felt like natural energy.

As the two were coming together, Kyodo acted, trying to prevent whatever was going to happen from happening at all. Collecting his purple chakra/youki mix in his hands, he made some gestured in midair before shouting. "BIND!" After a few more, this time the energy becoming black with only tinges of purple, he shouted. "ABOLISH!" Black flames began to consume the bodies, spreading out from the center to create a large inferno. He made sure to make it extra hot, just in case he had to pull out his next major technique in a hurry.

It turned out he did, as, from the burning area, a person shot out, garbed in black. It was a blonde haired feminine figure in a sleeveless hoodie and black, baggy pants. Her most noticeable feature, despite all the differences, was her distinct LACK of wings. As she landed, they noticed she had nothing on her feet from the distinct difference of the impact of her feet and the ground compared to previously.

She stopped to smile at them for a moment as they examined her with nature chakra, taking in all the new features as best they could with the lack of light. They weren't able to discern any color in the darkness that surrounded them, but they were able to tell that whoever was in front of them wasn't who they were fighting originally.

Naruto, still outside and spectating, sent a mental message to both Nagare and Kyodo. 'Do you feel that?'

They both nodded, but Nagare was the one to answer. 'We're in over our heads here'

Naruto pressed his lips into a thin line, unwilling to admit that. 'Just... merge with Kyodo and bring Omote out. I'm entering this battle. Once I do, tell him to pull out the strongest Kirin he can from the atmosphere. I'll distract her while it's prepared.'

Nagare nodded. 'The void will be dispelled entirely by such an attack. Well, the other effects have already been dispelled by her transformation, but... Pay attention, Naruto-sama; she won't be leaving very many openings.' Nagare then proceeded to merge with Kyodo, turning into particles of black energy with a green surrounding.

When it all finished merging with Kyodo, he looked like Naruto before the fight started, though the biggest difference was his new, black wings and his eyes. The sclera was completely black and his pupils were the only thing visible in the blackness, shining a brilliant green for a moment before fading to total black.

Omote began talking after a moment more of observing their new opponent, his voice coming out almost as demonic and far more demented than their opponent's predecessors. **"Who are you? You aren't who we were fighting before."**

She chuckled darkly, a sound that sent shivers down their spines. **"Shouldn't I be asking YOU such questions? First you split into four. Then two of them merge. Then another merges. I think I'm entitled to this much without you questioning me, little one."** With that, she dashed at him, aiming to plant her fist in Omote's stomach.

Naruto's eyes widened, sensing the fist rocketing at his other facet. He blurred over there in an instant, catching the fist, much to the displeasure of his hand. _'What IS she!? It feels like a wall of cinder blocks traveling at the speed of light... fucking hell.'_

Naruto was thrown off by a storm of black arrows that formed from her feet, though he couldn't see what they were, only getting the sense that they were rather sharp from the edges that caught him. Recovering in midair, he flipped and pushed off the air beneath him with power in his muscles that surprised even him. _'My geppo(air walk) is stronger... Good, I'll need all of them for this.'_ Glancing at his original form as he speed by him, he shouted, "HURRY THE FUCK UP, OMOTE!" He got a reluctant nod in return as Omote began to crackle with lightning and rise off the ground. "Hai, hai, Ura. I'll fry her ass in a moment." (A/N: If you know these terms, you can probably guess at their relationship. If not, guess you better get good at waiting... because it's not gonna be explained for a bit. Maybe later in the chapter, maybe next.)

Naruto had already reengaged the demoness by the time he got a response, giving him no chance to respond, not that he would. _'Soru(Shave)!'_ He had been in hand to hand combat with her the whole time, receiving many more blows that he gave, so he used the high speed technique he learned a while back to get behind her, sending a thunderous kick to her mid-back.

As she got up, she smiled before launching herself at him. He barely noticed the arrows appearing on the ground as she flew at him, and could do nothing but widen his eyes as she traveled along them, getting behind him in an instant and giving an equally strong, of not stronger kick to his back. **"An eye for an eye, Naruto-kun."**

Before the attack collided, Naruto managed to activate his defensive technique. _'Tekkai!' _With his skin hardened to the maximum degree, he lowered the damage from the excessively strong kick, though he was still blown backwards. As he flew backwards, he righted himself mid-flight once more, this time going air born as he used his geppo to gain height.

As he claimed, he looked down at her, smiling at him as though she was having the time of her life instead of fighting for it like he was. He couldn't help but grumble to himself as he tried to form a strategy. "This bitch is toying with me..." Something seemed to snap within him, and he decided that holding back an ace wouldn't benefit him in this fight.

Combining his soru and geppo, he sped down to her in a zigzagging motion, moving like a bolt of lightning to a normal person, but at brisk stroll to her. Dropping down in front of her, he extended his index finger on each hand before jabbing at her. _'Shigan: Ouren(Finger Gun: Yellow Lotus)!' _She began dodging each and every jab at her body with ease, but when Naruto began to get frustrated, he stepped it up to his max. _'Hachimon: Kaimon, KAI! Kyuumon, KAI! Seimon, KAI!(Eight Gates: Gate of Opening, RELEASE! Gate of Healing, RELEASE! Gate of Life: RELEASE!)' _His skin began to turn red as his speed more than tripled, the piercing finger jabs now making contact from the sudden speed boost.

Jumping back, he back flipped sending a blast of pure force from his feet, said force traveling in a crescent towards her. _'Rankyaku(Storm Leg)!' _It caught the damaged demon unawares as it made a gash across her chest.

From his position, he began to flick his fingers at her, sending compacted blast of pure force at her, each of them as piercing as the jabs. _'__Tobu Shigan Bachi(__Flying Finger Gun: Plectrum(A/N: A guitar pick for those who don't know.))!'_ As they pierced her, she was knocked backward, being completely caught off guard by his increase in, well, everything.

As he stopped a moment to catch his breath, a quick process for him, he glanced up to Omote, finding that he was ready and waiting for an opening. Nodding at him, he began to focus, opening up the gates once more in order to keep up with the demoness.

It was a good thing, too, because the moment they were open, she came out of the small dust cloud her landing had kicked up. She sent an arrow at him from a far as she came at him, as graceful as a snake. He dodged the arrow with a quick soru and met her in the middle of her path.

She smirked as she dodge around him, grabbing him from behind and whispering in his ear. **"I think you should RE-introduce himself, Naruto-kun. You've been changing so much."** If he didn't know better, he would've thought she could see him clear as day in the darkness that surrounded him. Then it hit him. "You can sense natural energy too, can't you?"

She smirked, though he couldn't see it, and licked his neck, making him shiver. **"So what if I can?"** She didn't give him a chance to answer. **"Well, whatever. Right now, I'm more interested in my meal."** She then proceeded to sink her fangs into his neck, drawing a pained/pleasured gasp from him, seemingly forcing the gates closed, though it was only due to the lost concentration

As she let go of him, he disappeared from view, coming back a moment later with the gates reopened and his leg already mid swing at her midsection. "RANKYAKU!" As he said that, she brought up an arrow that seemed to come from her back to block it, though it still managed to send her flying back. He sent a mental command up at the other him in the sky who'd maxed out the technique he'd prepared with the most lightning he'd collected, the sky seemingly ready to burst.

He closed the gates to save energy as his other self raised a hand, all the lightning that was crackling around him being concentrated in said hand now. Naruto began to send of his projectile shigan as a distraction, making her dance around them as he called down lightning.

Omote, as he was calling down the lightning smirked, called out to their opponent. **"You are powerful, easily stronger than we are now, but tell us... can you withstand the raw power of nature?"** She didn't have a chance to contemplate the question, still dancing around the bullets that could actually hurt her.

She would've been cut off in her answer anyway as the floating Naruto brought his lightning encased fist down towards her, a roar from the heavens her only warning of what was to come. **"Disappear with a roar of thunder... Kirin(Giriffe)."** She didn't even have a chance to fully widen her eyes as a beast composed purely of lightning roared and shot down from the sky, colliding with her in 1/1000th of a second, shattering the dome of blackness they'd been in the whole time.

All was silent for a while as Omote Naruto landed. He looked at Ura. **"So... think we got her?"**

Ura Naruto looked suspicious, staring at smoking area that she laid face down in. "I don't know how, but her life force is nowhere near gone... she's a fucking mons-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as a tail/arrow coming from the bottom of the face down demon's back was impaled on his chest. He coughed up blood, and could only think _'FUCK!' _as everything went black for him.

Now, Naruto was nigh unkillable. He regenerated at a rate that was astounding by any human standard, and even exceptionally fast by demon standards, but there was one thing that, if stuck by a fatal blow, would likely kill him, and all other living things: senjutsu. Sage techniques, which all used nature energy as their basis to perform. He just learned the hard way that his opponent, whatever her name was at that point, could indeed mold natural energy, just as well as he could.

As she picked herself up, her eyes had a dangerous glint to them, though they were only now getting a good look at them. **"Aw, don't go dying now~. We were just starting to have some real fun!"** She ripped it out of his chest brutally, making blood splatter on the shocked stiff Omote Naruto. She quickly decapitated him, making Naruto go back to normal, all the energy he dispelled from his body to create Omote returning to him in an instant. Unfortunately, he was in no shape to use it, his thoughts only on the imminent death he was facing. He didn't even have the motor function at that moment to catch himself as he fell face first into the ground.

* * *

Mindscape

* * *

He looked down at his chest, hoping the wound would heal now that he'd changed forms, but then he remembered the one weakness of that form: his injuries remained, no matter how severe, if he changed out of it. It was the only form he could really be killed in.

Then he realized that he was at the part of his mind where all his chakra mixed. A lake of multicolored liquids representing all the powers that collected in him. Looking at it, he found that his own was fading rapidly. The green stayed strong, as it was nature's energy, not his own, but it seemed like it was getting sucked out of him. The blue and red respectively had lost much of their that was really left was the Kyuubi chakra, but he knew if he used that, there was no guarantee he would stay sane; neither of them were there to regulate the flow, leaving up to him to control, something he never got around to perfecting, and now it was coming back to bite him.

He was startled by a voice in his own head that wasn't his. **"The fuck are you waiting for!? USE IT!"**

He whipped around, looking towards the source of the voice only to see... himself. "Oh, this is NOT the time for your shit." His reflection smirked and began to circle him, his eyes changing to be completely black, showing him to be Omote.

**"Aw, aren't you happy to see me?"** He began to cackle as Naruto started to ignore him and went back to deliberating on the pros and cons of each course of action available to him. Slinging his arm over his shoulder, he began to speak again. **"What do you think you're doing? You can't ignore me; I'm a PART of you! ESPECIALLY now that you've fucked up! HAHAHAHA!" **His slightly unhinged reflection went back to cackling at him as he sighed, acknowledging his presence due to the truth of his words.

Naruto shrugged his reflection's hand off his shoulder as he growled at him. "I am not in the mood for your crap right now, Omote! I'm trying to figure out the best way for us to not DIE, if you haven't noticed!"

Omote just laughed, finding the answer obvious. **"We have a godly amount of power left with us right now, Kingy! USE** **IT!"** He proceeded to shove Naruto into the pool of chakra, but didn't account for the surprised Naruto to grab onto the nearest thing to not fall in: him.

As they both fell deep within the pool of chakra, Naruto could feel the amount of Kyuubi chakra he was allowing through the seal start to overwhelm his own chakra and youki COMBINED. Opening his eyes, enraged, he grabbed onto Omote, who was cackling as they fell deeper into the continuously more Kyuubi filled pool, beating on him over and over. "FUCK YOU! I-" He was cut off as Omote headbutt him, sending him reeling back.

Omote grabbed his head and brought it in close to his face, whispering something to him. **"I am just you, Naruto. You've wanted to use this power for so long now; you just wouldn't admit it. Every demonic instinct in you has been telling you to absorb the two nigh infinite sources of power, just set the absorption rate to one higher than the can regenerate, take all that POWER! But noooo, you just kept denying yourself.**

**"I've just taken it upon myself to let you have some fun for once. Let US let loose. It's time to get WILD, NARUTO!"** Naruto couldn't respond, as Omote began cackling as he dissolved, the particles he turned into attaching themselves to Naruto.

As Naruto wondered what this meant, he heard a voice in his head... while he was in his head. **'Don't worry; I'm still here. It's just time for the show to begin.'** Naruto found himself nodding and smiling without even knowing it, the Kyuubi chakra he was desperately trying to keep out and Omote's personality he was trying to suppress within him seeming to resonate with each other, batting his wishes to the side.

In the end, he could only think, _'__Fuck it; I'll fuck that bitch up... then maybe just fuck her,'_ as he licked his lips. He didn't even notice the fact that he couldn't feel Omote anymore. At least not separately.

* * *

Real World

* * *

Naruto, hyped up on Kyuubi power, got up, all his wounds healed. As he opened his eyes, his opponent noted that they were completely red. She then noticed that he was now shirtless, the remnants of his upper body attire seeming to be dissolving as marking traveled up his body from his seal. The final changes were the two ears that now popped up from atop his now blood red, long, and extremely smooth hair and the nine red tails that swung lazily behind him. **"Oh, so you're not dead? Good, that means we can play more until you prove you're worthy."**

She was rewarded with a demonic chuckle that sent pleasurable tingles up her spine, the raw power in his voice alone palpable. **"Me? Worthy? Oh no, my dear, I'm more that worthy, but first, tell me your name, maybe a little about yourself."**

She giggled like a schoolgirl before answering. **"Well, I guess you can call me Medusa, Naruto-kun~. The two famous demons who traveled around were but a part of little ol' me, but I guess you're no stranger to different people being a part of you, are you?"**

He chuckled as he offered a response, his muscles tensing dangerously as he flexed his now clawed hand. **"No, no I'm not, though I'm sure my situation is a bit different from yours. Now, how about we continue where we left off. And..."** At this, he disappeared in a burst of speed so great, she couldn't even see a blur. He appeared behind her, grabbing her in a headlock. **"This time, it's your turn."**

She squealed after a moment, feeling the raw youki coursing through him with their proximity. **"Oh, you're DEFINITELY worthy. How about we just skip the rest; I NEED this right now."**

Naruto chuckled, but said nothing as he let his arm go lax, bringing a clawed finger across her cheek before leaning down to her ear. **"Oh no, not yet, Medusa-chan."** Despite being cut, she shivered pleasurably, not even noticing as Naruto appeared in front of her.

He curled both hands into fist before placing them on her midsection. **"ROKUGAN(Six King Gun)!"** A wave of force slammed into her, just about liquefying her insides, though they regenerated a moment later. As she stumbled backwards, he chuckled, astral claw projections forming at the tips of his own claws, stretching upwards into the sky. **"I'll make you beg."** He threw his hand forward, sending five of them at her, though she managed to block it with an arrow.

As she flew backwards, unable to resist the motion of the excessively powered up attack. She had no chance at stopping it, or even deflecting it, so she just rode with the attack, helpless in the face of its power. As she began to fly over a forest, Naruto appeared behind her, his next hand outstretched. **"I will make you grovel." **They flew out as well, digging into her back, as she wasn't fast enough to block it.

The two attacks collided, they tore Medusa apart, tearing her to shreds as they ground together before exploding in a flash of energy. **"Desgarron(Tear)." **As the dust cloud dispersed, one could see her falling to the ground in a mangled heap, though she was already regenerating.

As she landed, Naruto appeared, looming above her with a malicious smile on his face. He glanced up, sensing chakra signature abnormally close to the barrier. He found his team, Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari all staring at him about 20 yards away. His smile only grew, as if to say, "Ooh, an audience. Good."

He stepped on her head as she regenerated, a dazed yet oddly happy look on her face. Pointing a finger at her, he charged a relatively small amount of the massive store of youki into it, making an orb appear in front of it. When he spoke, his voice made shivers go down his listeners spines, though the reasons differed for some of them. **"I will make you bow to** **me." **It wasn't enough for him, though.

He began to force more power out of the seal, said seal becoming a swirling black hole, youki visibly pouring out of it as his body acclimated, taking it all in. The markings disappeared, leaving only the infinitely deep, dark swirl on his stomach.

The ground began to shake from the amount of power he was building up in his finger, a small crater forming below him. Medusa wasn't scared, though; if anything, she was excited by the raw power the attack had, and it hadn't even launched. **"Cero no Kamigami(Hollow Flash of the Gods)." **He released it, making a pillar of youki appear. It was so large, the edge of it was touching the barrier that Kogo and Kurama were maintaining, making them sweat at the exertion of maintaining it through an attack like that.

When all of the energy dissipated, the only thing visible was Naruto, breathing slightly heavier than before, and some pieces of Medusa left. The humans watching thought he'd one, but Kurama and Kogo knew better. Kurama began to laugh, and his amusement only grew when he saw Kogo blushing as well. He got a sucker punch for it, though he'd already drawn the attention of the others.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at that, still not trusting them completely. "What's so funny, Kurama-sama."

He chuckled for a while longer before answering. **"It's nothing you should worry yourself over, ningen, but I'll explain anyway. His opponent was just looking for a mate, and, since Naruto was dumb enough to release his seals in their totality, she was able to find him easily. He has enough chakra to resemble a bijuu, that's not even factoring in the rest of his power, or OUR power, which is ever present behind his own for anyone good at sensing any type of energy. He has his own stores of youki, too, so he was already a target, but... damn. Regardless, this was all because she wanted a mate, to be honest with you.**

**"We demons are a bit more... violent than you humans, though when it comes to lust, we have you beat as well. She was looking for someone to mate with but, at least at fist, she seeing if he was all bark or if he had a bite to back it up, a normal thing for demons to do, but when we left him, he had access to our power, unrestricted. He did well to not use it until now, but his own power is still developing. Even his third strongest technique, that blast of lightning you saw, wasn't enough... well, this is the result of him needing some more power."** He said that gesturing to the crater that was in front of them. **"But that's not what I was laughing at. She's gonna get back up and probably be horny as all hell, but Kogo here looked like she was gonna jump him first! Hahaha-!"**

He was silenced by a fist from a blushing Kogo. **"Baka." **She tried to retain some dignity by staring at Naruto impassively, but the hungry look in her eye gave her away.

Hinata was staring at Naruto with growing apprehension, not believing that the person in front of her was the same Naruto she grew up with. "W-will he be alright?" Her fear for Naruto easily trumped her fear of the two demons, letting her actually speak to them.

Kurama got a thoughtful look, but Kogo didn't even look like she heard her, her face giving away that she was in her own world right now. Two tails had sprung up behind her, coming out of the generous slit in the side of her chinese dress and wrapping around her legs. **"Well, I'D say he's fine as he is, but I doubt you'd agree with me. If you mean whether or not he'll go back to normal... well, I have absolutely no clue about that." **He shrugged at that, not really caring. **"That much youki in his system won't go away easily, but MAYBE he'll burn through it in, say, a week. It all depends on how hard they'll be going at it. And they WILL screw like rabbits, that much I can guarantee! There is no way this chick will let him just leave after THAT! And he doesn't seem to wanna go either! Ha!"**

As if on cue, she regenerated fully, still laying at Naruto's feet and panting. He grabbed her chin and brought her into a kneeling position. As she regained her bearings, he looked her right in the eyes, his eyes regaining their white sclera but his irides(the correct plural for iris) became a deeper ruby red than anyone thought possible. **"Won't you bow to the king?"** His eyes seemed to be hypnotizing her, because she nodded reverently, unable to form words. He smiled for a moment, caressing her cheek, making her melt into his hands. **"Good girl."**

He then looked towards the barrier, his red eyes making everyone who saw them freeze. **"Won't you come bow before me as well?"** They seemed to come under a spell, every female blushing brighter than a stoplight.

They all, even the guys, sans Inari, who just passed out, began to nod and walk towards the barrier, but Kurama's chuckle broke them of their trances. **"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I doubt you frail little bodies would survive what he's capable of dishing out right now, though you'd definitely enjoy it."** He stopped to think a moment. **"Though I guess he could just revive you with the amount of power he has right now."**

He began to laugh, clutching his sides when he realized what would happen to the guys. **"Hahaha! Go ahead! He's pretty much a god right now, so he'll just turn you guys into girls and fuck you too! If any of you break, he can fix it with ease!"** He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. **"Ah, that'd be a show."**

He didn't notice that, the moment he said go ahead, Kogo was already on the other side of the barrier, her arms draped around Naruto's neck as she jumped on his back, squealing. This, combined with Kurama's renewed laughter, was enough to break Medusa of her trance at last.

Seeing Kogo on top of her, she hissed threateningly. **"Get off of my Naruto-sama!"**

Kogo stuck her tongue out. **"Make me! Anyway, I saw him first!"**

Sparks began to fly between the two and they were about to throw down right there, but a single flare of youki from Naruto made them return to mush. **"Now, now. There is no need for any of that."** Sai took out his book and prepared to start writing, an action that was mirrored by Zabuza.

The currently demonic Naruto looked back at the barrier. **"No more takers? Eventually, I will make you all kneel, one way or another. Doing it now will just ensure that it'll be... pleasurable for you."**

Hinata actually seemed to be struggling with herself. _'He make look like him... but that's not MY Naruto... but I wanna...'_ Naruto saved her the trouble. **"Okay then. Kurama, watch them for me, okay?"** With a flick of the wrist, he created a large amount of food in front of Tazuna, quickly telling him it was for wave before grabbing the two women by the waist. The show of care made everyone's eyes widen, but he disappeared before anyone could say a word.

Kurama burst into laughter once he was gone, releasing the barrier. **"Oh sweet Yami, he wasn't even berserk! I wonder what excuse he'll make when this is over! Hahaha! Oh, my lungs hurt! Ha! The gaki's a fucking pimp! Hahaha! Oh, I don't even wanna take my power back right now!"** He was rolling on the floor laughing while everyone else was recovering.

Kakashi looked at Kurama warily. "Well, what now, Kurama-sama?"

As he regained his senses, Kurama got up. **"That's a good question. Well, they'll be gone for about a week, of not more, so you guys have some time to chill, train, do whatever. He asked me to stick around, so I will, since I don't want him mad at me right now."** He shivered at the thought. **"Do as you wish, just try not to bother me too much."** With that, Kurama sat down at a tree that wasn't destroyed, seeking to take a nap. Two tails popped out from his lower back, creating a pillow for him as leaned against the tree, yawning.

Kakashi sweat dropped at his behavior. _'Who knew the Kyuubi was so... laid back?' _He sighed before looking at Zabuza's group. "Well, what're you guys gonna do?"

Zabuza shrugged, hefting his excessively large sword onto his shoulder. "I have something to discuss with the gaki, so we'll be sticking around for a while." He looked back at Haku, Gozu, and Meizu to find they'd started playing poker. Shrugging, he joined in. As he sat down, he looked at Tazuna. "Oi, bridge builder-san! Think we could stay a while?"

Tazuna looked a bit scared at the prospect of Zabuza staying under his roof, but Tsunami made the choice for him. "Sure you can."

Tazuna moped a bit, but after a few stern words from Tsunami, he got over it. "Fine. And the name is Tazuna." Zabuza nodded, paying more attention to his poker game than the old man. His gruff voice rang out in the clearing, crystal clear despite him speaking in a normal tone. "Sure thing, bridge builder-san." Looking up, he glanced as Tsunami. "Thanks, Tsunami-san."

Tazuna gaped, but Tsunami just giggled, making Tazuna go back to moping about young people being so disrespectful.

Inari, who'd just woken up, was thoroughly confused by this point. "Kaa-chan? I-is Gato gone?"

Zabuza was the one to answer that. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that guy anymore, gaki. We took care of him. Naruto gave him to us to give a bit of... punishment. Before we sent him to hell, that is! Gahahaha!" His malicious chuckle was enough to give children nightmares, which Inari was sure to have.

After shivering at the scary man in their yard, Inari was stuck deep in thought. Looking up at the forest, ignoring the crater that was in front of the forest, he asked, "Where's Naruto-nii?"

Everyone, sans Zabuza's group, raised an eyebrow at the honorific, but said nothing about it. Instead, Kakashi answered, coming up with something to tell the child on the spot. "W-well, Naruto is, ah,... celebrating?" Zabuza AND Kurama both burst out laughing at that, Gozu and Meizu shared a perverted chuckle, Haku blushed lightly but still giggled at the choice of words, Surashi, Yakumo, Hinata, and Tsunami all blushed, and Sai, well, just kept being Sai. The whole time, his brush had been flying across a page in his book.

Inari was confused as to what they found amusing, but he shrugged it off as nothing major.

* * *

1 Week Later

* * *

Naruto woke up with the world's worst headache. He didn't even notice when he'd passed out, but he obviously did. Looking down, he saw that he was 100% naked and found both Kogo and a lady he vaguely recalled was named Medusa laying on either side of him, snuggled up to him and butt naked as well. Two of Kogo's tails were wrapped around him, twitching every so often and Medusa had her face buried in his neck, where he felt her lightly biting in what he assumed was her sleep.

Groaning, Naruto spoke aloud to himself, the sound of his voice slightly surprising him. **"What the fuck did I do?"**

He was even more surprised when he got a response from the two women. **"Us."**

* * *

A/N: Whoa. I feel like I just ran a marathon. I just did a monster chapter for my other story, and now I'm doing one here... jeez. Well, it's in celebration of my new found free time, since school, as of Friday, is DONE!... for me. My deepest apologies go out to any who still have school/work. But, this is the OC that I was talking about. I made one to model the concept of Naruto's ability to split, but I ended up modeling her final form on... Medusa... from Soul Eater... I hate myself so much right now for being that lazy, but I love the character far too much to not give her a spotlight. Seriously, she was my favorite character in the whole series.

Well, my fanboying aside, I think that this chapter gave a good idea of how strong Naruto is. He can take Yagura in the state he's in, but you'll just have to wait and see if he does. Now, Kakashi is still a match for Naruto(without any help from the massive store of Kyuubi youki) with his own ace in the hole, but in a fight, Naruto would win due to their massive stamina difference. In the end, Naruto could win most battles by turning it into a battle of attrition. BUT, what you saw in this chapter is a glimpse of the level of OP Naruto will reach in shippuden... and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Also, at the very most, there will be three more girls that I'll add on to the harem outside of your votes. Medusa stays, though. Also, I can write a three-way lemon with Medusa, if you guys want. The third and final also, I hinted at the fact that Zabuza knew Naruto with black hair, but this is me teasing at an explanation of how the uber harem will actually work out. He's been in A LOT of places, and people know him by different names and looks, so he's formed many different relationships under a different persona. I'll develop the concept more in later chapters, but just know that not everyone that knows Naruto knows him as Naruto. That's a shit-storm for another day, though. Anyway, onto the harem... which I really need to close soon.

(**Bold=Confirmed**, _Italics=Possible_)

**Kogo(Fem Kyuubi)**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

**Fem Sasuke**

**Fem Gaara**

**Fem Hidan**

**Yugito**

**Anko**

**Matatabi**

**Shizuka(A friend talked me into this one.)**

_Tayuya: 2_

_Temari: 4_

_Tenten: 4_

_Shion: 6_

_Mei: 6_

_Ino: 1_

_Pakura: 1_

_Maki: 1_

_Fem Kakashi: 3_

If you didn't notice, I've taken out one of the categories to simplify this poll. Now names in bold are on board for the harem. Names in Italics are still up in the air. And that's about it. I'm sure there is something I've forgotten to say, but oh well. Bye!(Reviews are a welcome source of inspiration for another update, wink wink.)


	11. The Return

A/N: YO! I'M BACK! ARE YOU HAPPY YET! CUZ I... kinda am? Well, whatever. It's about time I get down to it. To be honest, though, I'm having a few problems envisioning exactly where this story will end up. I guess we ALL have to just wait and see.

* * *

Raikiri \- Jutsu (I think I'll start using this more for dramatic effect, if only a bit.)

**I don't know who touched my cookies, but you will die for it.** \- Extreme anger or demonic speech/thought.

_No one must know that I ate them. _\- Thought/Flashback stuff.

FUCKING HELL! - Emphasized speech or shouting.

Anything in apostrophes, 'blah blah', occurs within the mind, be it mental communication (which is present) or just plain thoughts.

And any combination from here on out is up to you guys to decipher.

* * *

Naruto's eyes widened to much that, looking back on it, he would've thought they were gonna pop out of his head. **"W-What?"**

His response was a giggle from Kogo as Medusa began to lick her way up her neck, showing her rather long tongue, ending at his ear. She then began whispering in his ear. **"You heard us. You took that niiiice, hard, demon dick and-"**

She was cut off by Naruto. **"I don't need a description. I'm sure my mind will reboot soon enough."** As if on cue, he clutched his head, his headache coming back with a vengeance before simmering down. **"There it is..." **He quickly froze as the memories of what happened hit him like a ton of brick. **_'I said that? I DID that!? Ugh, Kurama is never gonna let me hear the end of this.'_**

Looking at the smiling Kogo, he asked her something that he was worried about. **"Uh, h-how long has it been?" **The answer did not make him feel any better.

**"Oh, it's only been a week or so. If you want, we have time to go again, Naru-kun~." **

He got up, sighing. **"Uh, n-no. I'm pretty sure my team is already prepared to kill me. I don't** **wanna push my luck too far."**

Medusa got up and grabbed Naruto from behind, reminding him that they were all stark naked as she sank her fangs into his neck, making his knees go weak. When she released him, she smiled, licking her lips. **"Alright, Naruto-sama. Lead the way." **His eyes traveled to her in surprised the instant she said that, making her laugh. **"What, you think I wouldn't follow you... King."**

To his credit, Naruto had stopped himself from blushing this whole time. He still grimaced slightly at the reminder of what he said while under the influence of such raw, unfiltered power. Then a thought hit him. _**'How long am I gonna be like this... meh, I can probably suppress the youki, maybe force it back into the seal.' **_He looked to Kogo, seeing her stretch as she got up, her tails sticking out behind her. **"Uh, Kogo?" **

**"Yes, Naru-kun?"**

He thought for a moment on how to ask this. **"Uh, how long do you plan on staying out here? Not that I mind, of course."**

She, after finishing her stretching, gained a thoughtful look. **"Well, the longer I stay out, the more likely you are to stay like that, so I'd LIKE to say forever, but I like my power being with me, so I'll go back when we meet up with Kurama again, 'kay?"**

He nodded, a bit thankful. Then, he focused on all the youki still flowing out of the seal. Even through a week of it being drained nonstop, there was still an excessive amount, which just goes to show how much of it they really had.

After a while, he managed to push as much youki back into the seal as possible and lock it, but when he checked himself, he found that he looked about the same. **"Shit." **When he spoke, he noticed that his voice had less of the demonic undertone, but it held no less power to it. Then, he found that the number of tails behind him had decreased to 2. **"Okay, it seems like I officially have tails." **Kogo sqealed in joy, a sentiment that was shared by Medusa.

Naruto was torn. He wasn't sure if he liked such a change or not, but he shook his head, resolving to focus on it later. Instead, he balanced his chakra with his youki, drawing in his usual amount of natural energy. Once he did that, he found that he returned to his normal form... with some cosmetic changes.

His hair had grown into something of a wild mane, falling in front of his face and concealing his eyes. It retained its smoothness, but, at least behind him, it reached his lower back, similar to his hair before. Thankfully for him, he had no tails or ears in that state. Sighing, he dressed himself with a thought and created a hair band, collecting the hair behind him and tying it, not wanting it to flair out behind him too much.

Pushing some of his hair to the side, making at least one eye visible... until it fell back into place, he started trying to find his team with chakra. "Okay, so where are we right now?" He idly noted that his voices demonic undertone was gone, for the most part, but it held the same amount of power.

It still managed to make Medusa shiver, at least, rendering her unable to answer before Kogo. **"Well, I have no clue. All I know is that this is an oddly nice cave and that Nami is over in..."** She took a moment to think, using her ability to sense chakra the same way Naruto could.** "That direction." **Thankfully, Naruto was only asking to determine their relative location to his team.

With the new information, he just focused his senses in a single direction instead of spreading it out. Finding them, he looked to the butt naked Medusa. "You may wanna dress yourself." He glanced at Kogo, noticing that she made no move to clothe herself. "You too, Kogo." After he told her, he made a half tora seal, replacing his resistance seals. ALL of them.

She pouted but complied, dressing herself in a silvery, sleeveless cheongsam with a crimson kitsune curling around it.(A/N: Google it.) It only went down to her mid thigh and had a generous slit on the side, giving Naruto an easy view if he were to take it. He only grunted in acknowledgement, making her pout slightly before sighing and brushing her matching silver hair behind her head, Medusa just rolled her eyes, using her own youki to create her normal clothes, though with a bit of variation from before. Her hood and pants became a one piece, the pants ending at her ankles and tapering inward, closing off at that point and leaving her feet out.

With both of them dressed, Naruto asked them how they wanted to go. "Space time, running, or flying?" Medusa just shrugged and Kogo took a moment to think. **"Hm? Well, just teleporting there would be faster, so I guess we could do that." **Naruto nodded, stretching out to touch them with his youki, as he didn't have to worry with them.

After a moment, they appeared on the apparently finished bridge to Nami no Kuni. They walked into the place, noticing that, despite being finished, no one was using it. Naruto just shrugged and, not even using chakra or youki, jumped onto a roof, using his enhanced speed and strength in its place, finding it easier than it was before when he did such things without any enhancements. _'I guess that little incident had some good effects.'_

Kogo and Medusa followed close behind and, a minute or so later, they were in front of Tazuna's house. Naruto walked up to the door with no hesitation, knocking on it. Hinata happened to open the door, and as she was about to ask who he was, her eyes widened. "NARUTO-KUN!" she cried as she tackled him in a hug, sending him flying out the entry way.

He was completely unprepared for the flying tackle/hug, so he couldn't put up the slightest bit of resistance. Instead, his body ended up shoving both Kogo and Medusa, who were following close behind, to the side, making them stumble and almost fall.

Looking down, he found Hinata smiling as she hugged him rather tightly. He chuckled, amused at her fist reaction, and his laughter only increased when she froze, realizing what she just did, and shot off him like she was electrified, mumbling apologies. He looked up at the door to find Surashi staring at him before he called the rest of the house down. "Oi! Naruto is back!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and came to greet him. The first out was Inari, who tackled Naruto, who just got back up. Thankfully, he was much smaller and somewhat prepared this time, so he didn't fall, though he did stiffen slightly from the contact, not really expecting it from the moody boy nor expecting what he heard. "Naruto-nii!" His eyes widened as he looked down at the boy hugging him before awkwardly hugging him back, not really used to situations like this.

When Inari let go, he looked up to see Tazuna and Tsunami walking towards him, leading the rest of the crowd, sans Kurama who just jumped out a window and landed next to him, looking at him knowingly. Naruto shot him a look that said "Not a word." and he got a nod, though Kurama's smile didn't diminish in the slightest. He just disintegrated, flowing back into the seal.

As Tazuna reached him, Kogo gave him a kiss on the cheek before following Kurama, leaving him to explain that. In his mind he heard Kurama begin to grill Kogo the moment she got in. **'So, how was it?' **

She squealed as she began to recount the experience to him. **'Oh, my Naru-kun was the best! He knew just when to be gentle, but he was so dominant, even with two of us! Whenever I...' **Groaning, Naruto tuned them out as best he could, not wanting to hear her babble.

Kakashi's hand on his shoulder brought him out of his state. "I'm glad you're back, Naruto-kun... but you have some explaining to do." There were nods all around.

Zabuza, who looked more proud of him than anything else, just gestured at Medusa. "For starters, regardless of how hot she is, who's this chick, eh?"

Naruto looked at Medusa, before looking back to him. "Uh, you guys wanna go inside? I feel like the questions may take a while... though I make no promises on what I will and won't answer."

After they were all comfortable in Tazuna's living room, Naruto, who chose to stay leaning up against a wall, looked at his little audience. "So, this," he began, pointing at Medusa, "is Medusa. She's a demon, similar to both Kogo and Kurama, who you've all seen, but she's not as strong. Well, she's much stronger than those two in the state you saw them in, but normally, she'd be outclassed. Easily. Oh, and those other two you saw on the bridge were just a part of her, similar to how both Kurama and Kogo make up part of the Kyuubi." She was also against a wall, though she was using an arrow like a seat, easily balancing.

She gave a light nod of acknowledgement before adding her own two cents. **"And Naruto-sama's mate."** She said it rather casually, making her words not register with everyone but Naruto, who face-palmed, for a second, though her demonized voice gave them slight pause.

When it did, multiple shouts of "NANI!?" rang through the house, the emotions behind them ranging from burning anger to excessive shock. Even Sai's eyes shot open so wide one might've thought they'd pop out of their sockets.

Kakashi was the first to recover, his training helping him in that regard. "Okay, for confirmation, the two of you have...?" He let his question hang in the air, not really needing to finish.

Medusa nodded happily, licking her lips a bit as she looked to Naruto, who was only now separating his hand from his face. **"Oh yes. Over and over. I'm certainly not going to be letting THAT get away!... though I don't mind sharing. He managed to take two of us and we were both more tired than he was by the end, so we'll DEFINITELY be needing more than one for this big boy." **She winked at Hinata, who turned into a tomato.

Naruto, who sent a small glare her way, accompanied by a light blush, sighed before recomposing himself. "Please, don't ask her anything else. I feel like she's actively seeking chances to talk about the previous week. I don't need that right now; ask her on your own time, because she'll probably be sticking around. Now, who's next?"

Kakashi raised a hand lightly, indicating his wish to ask a question. "Who are you?"

He sighed, thinking Kakashi was directing the question at Medusa. "I already said she's-"

"Not Medusa-san. You, Naruto-kun." Naruto's eyes gave him a confused look, making him elaborate. "You're keeping a lot from us, and we're your team. We have to trust one another, or this won't work."

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes. "I have A LOT of secrets, Kakashi. I've been places, done things, met people, killed people, fought people, allied myself with certain people. There are things I tell no one, yet they make up who I am..." His reopened his eyes, both of them having gained a faraway look. His chakra control began slipping as he went off into memories, a glow covering his skin.

He was brought back to reality as he heard a body hit the floor and labored breathing ensue. Looking up, he saw that Tazuna was on one knee panting, Inari was on his hands and knees, trembling and barely breathing, Tsunami was shaking, her breath coming out ragged, Zabuza, Kakashi, and Haku were breathing rather hard, and Gozu, Meizu, Surashi, Hinata, Yakumo, and Sai were breathing even harder.

Naruto blinked at the change before he realized the problem. Regaining control of his youki and chakra, he pulled out his normal gloves from midair, dispersing the pair he'd created on the spot in the cave earlier. When they all regained their breath, the looked at him in awe and slight fear.

Kakashi was the one to ask him, though, as he'd been talking. "What the hell was that!?"

Naruto just sighed, realizing that he'd be divulging a good bit of information through out this conversation. "THAT, Kakashi, was my letting my control over my bodies energies slip. At this point in time, I'm restraining as much chakra and youki as, say, the Sanbi, maybe even the Yonbi. It just wants to ooze out of my tenketsu all the time, so I have to control that, else I'll suffocate people with my presence." Kakashi's single visible eye told him to explain, which he chose to do, finding little harm in doing so right now.

"Well, both of the demons that came out of the seal on my stomach were only with a fraction of their power. The rest stayed inside the seal, where it continued to be subjected to what the seal does: slowly drain their power into me. When Minato, the Hokage, originally sealed Kogo inside me, he'd intended to end the Kyuubi by draining all her power into me, killing her and making me stronger. Turns out, she can replenish her power faster that the seal drains it, and the seal just starts draining faster and faster as I get older, giving me more and more.

"Combine that with an excessive amount from birth and having a sensory technique on 24/7, putting a, now very slight, drain on me, and you have a chakra power house. I just suppress it all with seals normally... That's what I forgot!" He snapped his fingers before holding out his hand, a blue glow on his outstretched index and middle finders as he began drawing in the air, his fingers leaving a blue trail.

A few seconds later, as his hands moved in a blur, he stopped, the seal glowing a bit brighter for a moment before flying into his chest. His chakra suppression seals reactivated themselves with that, pushing his chakra and youki levels back down to only about twice as much as a kage. Or at least they should've.

Focusing, as he felt something off, he realized that he had more, in total, than the Ichibi, even with the seals on. _'Then how much did I have WITHOUT them on!?' _Flexing his hands, he looked at himself, sighing. "Fuck. I have to increase those when I get back." At least they did what they normally did. His hair shortened, now only reaching halfway up his back, if not a little less, and he lost an inch or two.

Looking up at the group, he gave them a look that told them he was ready to continue. Zabuza raised a lazy hand, standing behind his followers and leaning on the couch they were seated on. "Could you beat Yagura yet?"

He didn't even have to think. "Yes, I'm certain I could do it, but I need permission to go over there. Don't worry, I'll get it and be there in a day or two, but until then, you'll have to wait."

Kakashi interjected as Zabuza was about to say something. "That's what I'm talking about. I doubt it's a big enough secret that you COULDN'T tell us what you were just talking about, you just WON'T."

Naruto gave him an annoyed look before sighing. "Kakashi, do you tell everybody everything you COULD?" Naruto didn't even wait for Kakashi's obvious answer. "I know you don't. But, I'll humor you this once. I fought in Kiri, aiding the rebel forces as they tried to end Yagura's reign over Kirigakure. He was killing kekkei genkai bearers for the mere fact that they inherited the trait, so they wanted him dead. I'd gained some infamy at the time, so they recruited me, paying me in training from the likes of Zabuza here and access to viewing their kekkei genkai bearers training. It was a win win for both sides, so a deal was struck.

"I could only stay for a few months, since I was scheduled to return to Konoha by that time, but the reason wasn't all that important. In the end, they planned a possibly war ending confrontation, but were ratted out, so they had to retreat. I covered them with a small force on my side, Zabuza's group included, though Haku here wasn't around at the time. In the end, it was just me, Zabuza, Meizu, and Gozu against Yagura, aka the Mizukage, and the remaining 3/4th's of his army.

"I took on the army while they took on Yagura, but they were losing badly after a while, so they retreated while I held back Yagura and his army. They got out and, after beating them back as best I could, I got the hell out of there too. I couldn't beat Yagura back then... maybe, but he had an army backing him up anyway, so it was rather one-sided. Now, I can probably win, and I want a fucking rematch too, so I need to get permission from Minato to go do that. Happy?"

Kakashi, and everyone who didn't know, for that matter, were all staring at him in surprise. Kakashi, breaking out of his trance, nodded slightly. "That's fine. I was wondering why you got the title Akuma no Shugo. I don't trust the bingo book information to be accurate all the time, especially when it came to one so young."

Naruto nodded, knowing that the bingo book could definitely be wrong. Hell, they thought he was the jinchuriki of the Rokubi! Cracking his neck, he looked at the group. "Anything else?"

He spent the next few minutes either answering or refusing to answer questions about himself. It was Hinata who asked him the most interesting question so far, and it was the first question she'd asked him the whole time. "What's your dream, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto paused at that, gaining a far away look in his eyes, though their intensity increased. "I..." He trailed off, unsure whether or not to answer the question. He closed his eyes, resolving to share at least this much with them. Opening his eyes once more, he looked at them, his eyes having regained their focus. "I don't want to repeat this, so listen very closely. I've told a grand total of 0 people my dream before, so consider yourselves honored." He closed his eyes, preparing himself to share some of his deeper thoughts, his more personal ones.

He took the time to solidify a platform of chakra under him as he seemingly sat on air, making everyone's eyes widen in shock, sans Medusa, though he ignored them. Getting comfortable, he attempted to put into words the dream he'd never even shared with Kogo.

"I wish to live in a world without god. No higher power that can dictate my actions, that can punish me if they don't like what I do. If need be, I will become god, I will become that higher power to achieve this, I will gain power enough to be an over arching authority. Then, I'll just have the ability to say that I am free from all other powers, that they have no hold on me. That I am free of this world's even encroaching misery and sadness. That is why I gain power, why I fight. For my freedom. All others who I meet that feel the same, I will bring them under my power, and set them free from the shackles this world, its leaders, its gods have placed on them..."

He looked to the ceiling, his eyes closed. "That is my dream. I don't know how far down this path I will be able to travel, but, if I happen to fall, I will make sure to free as many others from this world's bonds as I can. If I do manage to accomplish this goal, then, and only then, will allow myself to stop fighting." He opened his eyes, looking at the group once more, seeing them staring at him with rapt attention. "That is the dream that I seek to turn into a reality."

Following his little speech, there was dead silence. Addressing his team, he chuckled mirthlessly. "I told you that you'd know if I accomplished mine, right? Well, trust me when I say you'll hear about it, if not feel it in your very soul."

They recovered one by one, none of them feeling like they should ask him anything else after that. Hinata stared at him for a while. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I shouldn't have asked such a personal question."

Naruto shook his head. "It's fine. Regardless of who knows my dream, it won't change, and I won't stop trying."

Zabuza's chuckle broke through the silence. As everyone turned to him, he began to speak. "You sound like an old man who hates the world."

A small smile tugged at Naruto's lips. "Hehe. I guess I do." Addressing the whole group, he continued. "I think that's enough. You guys are now collectively the most informed people on the topic of Naruto... who are alive." He proceeded to stand up, ignoring the looks he got for doing that so casually. "I'll be in town. I assume we'll be leaving tomorrow, yes?" The nod he got from Kakashi was all he needed to disappear from the room.

In his absence, Medusa couldn't help but comment, summing up all she'd heard about Naruto in the past few minutes. **"Hmm. Naruto-sama is a complicated person." **They all nodded before dispersing, each of them going about doing as they pleased, Medusa going along with Naruto.

The next day, Naruto and his team, Zabuza and his followers, and Medusa were walking towards the bridge, heading back to Konoha, though it was the first time for about half the group.

When they got there, they found most, if not all of Nami's inhabitant gathered there. Tazuna stepped in front of the group, opening his arms. "What, you think we'd just let you leave without saying thank you!?" The people of Nami no Kuni roared in approval, showing that they agreed with the old man speaking for them.

Specifically, they shouted Naruto's name, calling him a hero and such, which made him rather uncomfortable, but he pushed it aside and kept walking. Naruto spotted the group of women he'd saved from the bandits in the front, waving at him. As his group made their way through the crowd, Naruto stopped in front of them. "I'll be back for those of you who want to leave within a week; I just need to go sort some things out. Sorry about the delay." He winked at them, making a few rolls of money appear in their grasps with a thought, making those who saw him cheer even louder.

When they reached the bridge, they saw Tazuna there with a ribbon tied in front of the bridge. "With this, Nami no Kuni will be free, and it'll all be thanks to you guys." Tazuna held a pair of scissors out to Naruto, which made the crowd cheer even louder for him, even when he tried to say no, much to the amusement of his entire group, the demon foxes in his head included.

After he failed to deny the crowd and cut the ribbon, the group began to walk across the bridge. Inari pushed his way to the forefront of the waving crowd and shouted at them. 'BYE! THANK YOU, NARU-NII! DON'T FORGET TO VISIT!" Despite how he felt, Naruto couldn't stop the small smile that covered his face, giving a little wave back.

Zabuza chuckled at him, making him stop and scowl. As Naruto's head turned to Zabuza, the man just waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Never saw you as one to be this... nice. I wonder what Ringo-chan would say?"

Naruto's scowl only deepened. "You will not say a word of this to her when you see her. She starts laughing at me the next time I see her, and you won't be able to move for a month without wishing you were dead." Zabuza, who's sword was strapped to his back, just raised both hands playacting before making a zipping motion over his lips.

Naruto gave him a hard look. "Somehow, I don't believe that." He then moved to the back of the group, sulking slightly. He tried to think of something to distract himself. Looking around, he noticed Haku looking at him every once in a while, though he made sure not to meet her eyes in his scans of his surroundings.

Everyone else was already making small talk for the most part, Meizu and Gozu likely talking about something battle related, Surashi and Hinata discussing something, likely regarding him if what he heard was any indicator, Zabuza, Kakashi, and Medusa were probably talking about something perverted, and Yakumo and Sai were probably being art nerds, if Sai's small smile and little book were any indicator. That left him in the back and the quiet Haku, trailing behind Zabuza, Meizu, and Gozu, all of which were near the front.

When next her eyes trailed over to him, he met "his" eyes before making a slight gesture for Haku to join him. In a moment, Haku was back there with him, apparently glad for something to do. "Well, hello, Haku-chan~." He stressed out the -chan specifically to taunt her/him. "Still maintain that your a guy?"

Haku was slightly regretting talking to Naruto at this point, but nodded regardless. Naruto raised a brow at that. "I'll tell you how I know you're lying. Even as much control and suppression as I have on my bodies energies, some of it will inevitably escape. I've been blanketing the area around me in chakra since I was young to sense things, so I just spread it out in the area around me.

"Now, you are in the area around me. I may not focus on this, but I can instantly identify your gender from the fact that my chakra can give me the info on what you have between your legs, regardless of what you do to try and hide it."

Haku wasn't sure whether she was in awe of such an ability or angry at how invasive it was. Seeing her beginning to get angry at him, he raised his hands defensively. "Hey, its a side effect of the technique. I don't focus on it, so it doesn't register normally. I specifically checked you, though..." Haku gained an embarrassed and rather angry look on her normally calm face, prompting Naruto to continue. "BECAUSE I thought you were way too cute to be a guy. I felt like it would've been a crime."

The anger diminished and the embarrassment redoubled, her face getting rather red. "Th-thanks, Naruto-san."

Naruto waved his hand. "None of the -san stuff. Please, just call me Naruto. Formalities like those feel weird for me after... yeah."

Now, Haku was curious. "After what, Naruto-sa- Naruto."

He nodded at her correction before realizing what her confusion stemmed from. "Ah yes. You weren't around when that happened. Well, when I was younger, Konoha was my own little hell. The people hated me to the point where they wanted me dead, for the most part, and a few people tried. They were annoyed when I woke up in the mornings and sneered at me as I walked around anywhere. I was even kicked out of the orphanage at, like, 3 and a half.

"Hell, the only reason they had to hate me THAT much was because, even though my presence was the only thing that was saving them, I was a reminder. Little did they know that if they killed me in their bull, they'd have released the same demon they accused me of being. Regardless, things got shitty from that point on. I had to fight for food scraps with the homeless people, but they were mostly adults, so that didn't end well. Had to steal to survive, giving the cops and ANBU reason to chase me beyond people's false accusations of theft and assault that already came in.

"THEN, after I finally got a home and made a friend, I, and don't tell anybody this, got involved with the yakuza because of my friend's debt. Due to my skills in evading ANBU and the police force, along with the stealth I'd gained naturally to survive, I was put to work transporting drugs. I had to go through ANBU training to have a real chance, which I did. THEN, the closest person to me was murdered by some Konoha "ANBU", leaving me more than a bit lonely. If it wasn't for Hinata-chan and Surashi, I probably would've just killed myself... and failed, due to my healing factor, but whatever.

"You have NO CLUE how happy I was when I left Konoha for my trip, even if I left some friends behind. I got a shit ton stronger, and I met a lot of people. Even met Zabuza during the time, so I guess I came out on top in that, ne?" He hadn't really been paying attention to Haku the whole time, so when he looked over to her he found her staring at him in something akin to kinship. "Okay, what did you go through? You have that look to you, that feeling of lingering sadness that many can't shake."

She was shocked that he was able to discern that much from just looking at her, and apparently it showed. "Oh, please. Unless you outright cover your face, your an open book to me. Even then, I can probably read you through the look in your eyes. Now spill."

Haku bit her lip, thinking of whether or not to talk about herself. _'I mean, he did share his past with me. From what he just told me, he'd understand better than most.'_ Looking at him, she began to recount her past. (A/N: This is the exact same as in the anime, though Zabuza found her while fleeing Kiri after the failed assassination.)

When she was done, Naruto nodded. "And you just gave me ANOTHER reason to kick the shit out of Yagura. Even if he IS being controlled, he's so getting his ass whooped." Haku's eyes widened, but Naruto just brushed it off. "It's just a theory as to his drastic change in attitude, from what I've heard. I know of someone with power enough to do this, so it's not completely implausible. You'll find out in a week or so."

After he finished discussing Yagura and their pasts a bit, relating to each other, he remembered something he said on the bridge. "So, uh, how about lunch some time soon." Haku just sighed at his persistence, a light blush on her face.

* * *

That night, as they'd traveled at a civilian pace that day so they didn't make it, they were setting up camp. Team seven brought tents, as they were prepared for the mission, while Zabuza's group had planned on stealing some from Gato before they left, though that plan kinda fell through. As such, people ended up sharing tents.

Naruto just hopped into a tree, giving his tent to Haku. Zabuza, Kakashi, and Sai shared Kakashi's tent, Sai let Gozu and Meizu share his tent, and Surashi and Hinata had their own tents, though they chose to share. Medusa jumped into the same tree as Naruto, latching onto him and dragging him to the ground as everyone was setting up their tents, making most of them laugh.

Grumbling, he got up, dusting off his suit. Giving Medusa a slight glare, he looked to Kakashi. "Should I make food or hunt?" Kakashi shrugged, but took that as Naruto volunteering to deal with food.

Naruto rolled his eyes at Kakashi and decided to be lazy. With a wave of his hands, he made something for everyone.(A/N: Does it really matter what?)

After they were done with the tents, they all sat down to eat, Naruto having decided to create some plain water for everyone, not wanting to spoil them too much on a mission.

As they ate, Naruto looked to Zabuza. "So, are you gonna wait around Konoha for me to leave again and contact you, or just come in. I can get you at least temporary sanctuary until we leave, if not a position in Konoha, if you want." Everyone but Kakashi and Medusa raised a brow at how confidently he said it, Medusa just not caring and Kakashi knowing it was true.

Hinata chose to ask him how that was, Sai taking out a book and preparing to write. They were all disappointed when Naruto smirked lightly. "A magician never reveals his secrets. Just know that I have stuff in Minato." This seemed to be enough for everyone as they went back to eating as Zabuza gave an answer.

"Well, if you're sure you can get us in to stay for a day or so, I'd love to sleep in a bed without the chance of getting my throat slip being AS high."

Naruto just shrugged, understanding completely. "Well, I'll have to take you to the Hokage with all of your weapons stripped. You won't feel any safer, just saying."

* * *

As they walked toward Konoha's gates, Naruto told them to lose the weapons, or the moment they set foot in Konoha, they might lose their lives. Haku took off a pack of senbon, Gozu and Meizu took off a kunai pack and clawed gauntlets for each of them, and Zabuza gave him his Kubikiribocho(Decapitating Carving Knife).

Zabuza felt a bit odd not having his sword yet still wearing a sword strap and nothing else on his upper body, but he shook it off, telling him that it was only temporary. A similar feeling went through Gozu and Meizu, as they hadn't taken off their claws in a long time. Their bare hands felt weird to them, but they knew it was temporary.

Naruto had a pile of weapons in his hands by the end of it, but just as Kakashi was gonna ask him if he needed any help, they just began to levitate. His team was going to get shocked, but then they realized that this is Naruto, and, as such, that's just about normal.

Naruto kept the Kubikiri in his hands, though, keeping it safe in respect for Zabuza, something he was thankful for. When they walked into the village after informing the guards of the situation, Naruto noticed that the stares he got were just about split... but instead of two types, he was getting four, and they sure as hell weren't even.

There was a decent amount of them looking at him in fear as he hefted a sword bigger than he was over his shoulder casually, weapons floating around him. Then there were those that were still hating him for the sole reason of containing a demon, which was once more the largest group. After those was the group that tied with those who feared him in terms of numbers, those who respected him greatly. And then there was an unexpected group, and the smallest, yet they seemed to be gaining numbers as he looked around. Those who looked at him with lust.

It wasn't obvious at first. As they entered, a few women just glanced at him with a look Naruto didn't get a chance to place the first few times. Then, he realized it was a hunger that they felt, though he doubted they wanted food.

He was more than a little uncomfortable with this, but his time with Anko prepared him well for this situation. He ignored it as best he could, thankful that the excessively large sword on his back and his choice of company seemed to be keeping them at bay. He glanced at the rest of the group, seeing that they were noticing the stares he was getting, and none of them were really happy about it, Medusa, Hinata, and Surashi among the most displeased.

Medusa slowed down to walk beside him, putting her head right by his ear when she got there. **"Naruto-sama? Is this normal for you?"**

He shook his head, glad he could say something about it to someone. "Not really. I mean, the hate is normal, and the respect is normal, though that's stronger than before. The fear is... expected, considering what I'm carrying. The other one... I didn't expect to see that from anyone in Konoha except Anko in my indefinite lifetime."

She gained an interested look at the mention of Anko, as did everyone else in the group, but he stopped any questions by continuing a bit. "She's been like that for ages, though, so I'm rather certain she's joking about it... Maybe." He chuckled, though it became a bit nervous at the look Medusa gained. It wasn't a look of anger, but anticipation, excitement even.

Looking at the tower in front of them, Naruto sighed, feeling Kushina's chakra in the Hokage's room. "This," he mumbled to himself, "may have just gotten a bit more complicated than it needed to be."

When they got to the Hokage's office, they found Kushina yelling at Minato, a sight that was enjoyed thoroughly by Naruto and Kakashi. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE IT OUT WHEN YOU LEFT! WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE IF IT SPOILED HUH!?"

Minato was cowering behind his chair, which had a few kunai in it. "Maa, maa. C'mon, Kushi-chan. I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

This only seemed to infuriate her further. "**SORRY!? I SPENT HOURS ON IT YESTERDAY FOR-**"

Naruto had seen enough and didn't want Minato to embarrass himself too much, so he stepped in front of the group and coughed into his hand. "I'm sorry if we're interrupting something, Hokage-sama, but, uh, Team 7 is reporting ba-"

This time Naruto was the one cut off. Kushina tackled him in a hug, shouting, "NARUTO-KUN!" They pushed through the entire group, sending the two Uzumaki flying through the door that Kakashi had closed when they entered, putting a hole in the door.

Naruto's head impacted with the ground, and he saw stars for a bit. When he regained his bearings a few seconds later, the first thing he registered was Kurama's and Kogo's laughter in his head. Next was Kakashi's laughter in the background, quickly becoming clearer as he came back to the world of the living. The third thing was the weight on his chest. Looking down, he found Kushina trying to squeeze the life out of him. Only then did he register his lacking ability to breath, which he sorely missed.

His face began to turn blue, the thought not even registering with him that he could make air in his lungs to sustain him in this situation. "K-kushi...na... can't... b-breathe..." When he managed to get it out, Kushina quickly blushed in embarrassment, letting him go quickly.

As he got up, breathing deeply, the entire group lost it, sans Sai, who didn't really get what was funny. When he felt like his blood was re-oxygenated properly, he looked up at Kushina. "What the HELL!?" Kushina tried to stammer out an excuse, but he just sighed and returned to the Hokage's office, Kushina trailing behind him.

When they entered, Naruto replaced the door with chakra, surprising everyone, even if only mildly, that he could do that with his chakra as well. "As I was saying earlier," he began, giving Kushina a dirty look that she ignored, moving to stand next to Minato, "Team Seven is reporting back from our mission to Nami no Kuni. We'll explain the, ah, guests momentarily. Don't worry, we've stripped them of their weapons."

Minato nodded, going into "Hokage Mode" as he commanded Kakashi and Naruto to report.

Kakashi began, telling of how they were walking along and the Oni Kyodai attacked them, specifically hired to take out their client. "They were stopped and we held them captive, as I intended to interrogate them. I called back first, as the mission had increased to a B-Rank in difficulty, at least, so I waited until you sent whoever you chose as back up."

Naruto took over here, fabricating a story of how he interrogated them then sent them to Zabuza with a message. "Zabuza had chosen to remain, attempting to fulfill his mission. We had a confrontation in which I handled Zabuza, Kakashi took Haku, the lady in the hunter-nin uniform, and genin Surashi, Hinata, Yakumo, and Sai guarded our client from the Oni Kyodai. Once I defeated Zabuza, they retreated."

Kakashi took over there, recounting, much to Naruto's visible displeasure, how they entered the village and Naruto made food. Minato and Kushina gave Naruto a proud, though rather shocked look at his actions, though he ignored it.

Kakashi then went on to recount all that happened in detail, even Naruto's speech and his action, which Naruto glared at him harshly for, though the jonin did not even flinch.

Naruto sighed and took over at the next pause Kakashi had, filling them in on the fact that he accompanied Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, to go shopping and saved a few girls, though he glossed over it, not divulging much information.

He then went on to tell that he infiltrated Gato's base and convinced him that he'd be in the man's side, getting him to spill on his forces with ease. It was a lie, but no one could detect a thing wrong with his words, as none of them were there when it took place.

Kakashi took over, telling of how they planned for the bridge, making Medusa snicker in the background. Naruto glanced at her, making her go silent at the commanding look she got. As Kakashi continued, Minato's eyes widened when he heard that his son took on all of Zabuza's group, trying not to really hurt them, and won, for the most part. Kushina's eyes were full of pride that her son was so strong.

Naruto took over. He told of how, after beating on Kisame for a bit, Kakashi came and was about to engage Shisui, though he made sure to let them know that he had removed the threat to their lives they posed by promising to pay them off.

Then, when he got to the part where the two ladies appeared, he described them in detail, making Medusa smile, happy he was paying attention. "I'm sure you both know of the strength of the energy demons use, yes? Youki. Well, those two gave of a lot of it, and I didn't realize that it was only one of them giving off the oppressive energy until later.

I'm sensitive to these things, so I quickly tried to get Kakashi and Zabuza out of there once I sensed it, but the one with horns was fast enough to appear in front of me without any of my knowledge, as I tried to suppress as much of my power as I could to avoid garnering their interest.

"It didn't work and, after I got Kakashi out of there, sending two guardians there to put up a barrier , I had an almost all out battle with the two. I managed to beat them, burning them to a crisp with a technique of mine, when their bodies disintegrated and came together, forming Medusa, the lovely lady in black behind me." He gestured towards her as she gave a little wave.

"After we reengaged one another, I ended tapping into the Kogo's AND Kurama's power within me, causing me to go a bit crazy, though I retained some control. It caused me to become a bit... demonic, and since Medusa here had come looking for a mate, I... obliged... for a full week."

Minato nodded, a small, proud smile on his lips. In the corner, Jiraya, who Naruto had sensed a while back, fell down laughing, his camouflage technique falling. Kushina's hair began to wave around behind her when he said that, her eyes becoming as hard as diamond. "We will talk about this later, Naruto-kun." She left no room for argument.

Naruto rolled his eyes, smacking Jiraya upside the head with chakra to make him shut up, though he ended up biting his tongue, and continued. "Well, after we were done, I got back and Kakashi made us have a little chat about keeping secrets, in which I revealed some things about myself. Nothing major, but enough for them to know me a bit better. If you wanna know, just ask Kakashi later, like I know you will." Minato, Kushina, and Jiraya all nodded, showing that they fully intended to grill him on the subject of Naruto.

Sighing, he resumed once more. "When we did leave, as Tazuna had finished while I was away, they had a little going away gathering, the people wishing us luck and thanking us for helping, etc. WE left, taking Zabuza's group and Medusa with us, as, ah, we have some business with them we need to discuss with you. Well, not really Medusa; she's just with me."

Minato was silent for a moment, pondering what to do before looking to Naruto. "What business do you have with Zabuza?"

Naruto hesitated a moment, looking to Zabuza, who just nodded. Sighing, he fessed up. "You've read my bingo book entry. I'm going to Kiri for a rematch. This time, I won't let him use an army against me." Minato was shocked, but Kushina got angry. "NO! I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO FACE A KAGE AT YOUR AGE!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I can win. He can't kill me, either. That's why I'm called the Fujimi no Gisei; they don't have anything I can't heal from in a few moments. Besides, 9 is a fuck ton stronger than 3." He was admonished for his language by Kushina, who was about to go on a tirade about why he couldn't go when Minato cut in.

Looking Naruto dead in the eyes, he asked him something. "Why do you wish to do this?"

Naruto kept direct eye contact, not backing down. "I made a vow that I would return to finish it. I also need to check on a friend who was there when I left; I found something that she treasured far outside of Kiri." In the silence that followed, the two titans of the shinobi world stared each other down.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as Minato continued to stare at him, his lips pressed into a thin line as he tried to tell his son no. "If you say no, you are aware that I can and will just leave regardless, right? Mark me a nuke-nin if you must, but I plan on honoring my word, no matter the cost." Minato saw Naruto's resolve in his eyes and nodded, much to Kushina's displeasure.

"MINATO! HOW CAN YOU LET HIM DO THIS!" She calmed herself a bit, something Naruto found impressive. "That place is a war-zone right now, Minato-kun."

Naruto nodded, stopping Minato from responding as he did so instead. "I know what it's like over there. It won't be like that for more than another week at most, that much I can promise you. I can be there by today, end this tomorrow, and be back in three or four more days, depending on how bad the clean up situation is."

Minato nodded, on board with the idea of getting this done quickly without making his son an outlaw. "Kushina, I can't stop him. Let him go." She sulked a bit, nodding reluctantly.

Zabuza then spoke up. "Uh, I hope I am not intruding on a personal matter, but why is the Aka Shi, Kushina Uzumaki, so interested in... Naruto... holy shit! Are you his mom!?"

The entire group, sans Sai, whipped their heads towards Minato and Kushina before looking to Naruto, and back. Naruto thought this might have happened, so he had already thought up an explanation. "No, but we are likely related, at least distantly, as Uzumaki is a clan name."

Medusa spoke up, not really buying the lie as easily as everyone else. **"Well, your chakra feels similar to BOTH of theirs. Are you SURE they aren't your parents, Naruto-sama?" **

He nodded, thinking up something quickly. "On the night of the sealing, Minato's chakra mingled with mine as my chakra system was still developing. It's just coincidence. Regardless, do you think the villagers would treat their leader's son the way they treated me?" After making his point, he watched acceptance come over Medusa, putting all suspicion to rest. He gave himself a mental pat on the back, ass did Kogo and Kurama, commending him on his on the spot lying skills.

After they sorted out the details of Medusa and Zabuza's group, they agreed that they could all leave tomorrow, after Medusa got papers that entitled her to certain things in Konoha, as she never had any, being a demon. They even discussed making her a shinobi, though she wanted to talk about it with Naruto first.

Hinata would've spent the rest of the day getting grilled by Medusa if she hadn't went home to tell her family about her first mission outside of Konoha before she got out of the office with Minato, Kushina, and Jiraya, who were no doubt grilling HER on what happened between her and Naruto.

Surashi went to her mother to inform her that she returned, likely being interrogated on what happened as well. Naruto housed Zabuza's group, so he gave them any empty apartment they chose in his complex for the night, giving them their weapons back in the process. Oddly, when he reminded them that they were in the redlight district, Zabuza immediately went out again.

After giving them a spot to stay, Naruto went into his apartment to find Anko sleeping in his bed. "Oh, come on! It's the middle of the day!" His voice woke her up, making her send a few kunai at his face, which he stopped with a thought, expecting as much. "It's great to see you too, Hebi-chan."

Naruto quickly found his face between her breast as she hugged/suffocated him. "YAY! NARUTO-CHAN IS BACK!" He quickly extracted his face from her death trap, not wanting to be suffocated at the moment.

"Yes, yes. I am aware that I have returned, Hebi-chan. That's no reason to try and kill me."

At that moment, Medusa jumped in through his window. **"I'm back, Naruto-sama! Oh? Were you going to start something like this without me? How mean of you, Naruto-sama!"**

Naruto just sighed, extracting himself from the confused Anko's grip. "Anko, Medusa. Medusa, Anko. Also, Medusa, do you know how to make your voice less... demony."

She pouted but complied none the less. "Yes, Naruto-sama. But what was wrong with it before?" He gave her a look but didn't bother explaining it to her if she couldn't figure that much out on her own.

Anko butt in at that point. "Uh, who are you?"

Medusa smiled at Naruto, knowing that he wouldn't like what she was gonna say. "I'm Medusa, Naruto-sama's mate."

Instead of responding with the normal shocked silence, Anko snapped her head to Naruto before grabbing him and throwing him on his own bed. "Oh, so you do it with this hussy before me, huh!?" She shed her coat as she jumped on the dazed Naruto, attempting to undress him. "How mean of you! But, I guess that means you'll be better at it with me, I guess."

He regained his senses as his pants got below his knees. Blinking the stars out of his eyes, he realized what was happening. "Oi, oi, oi! The fuck are you doing!?" He attempted to pull his pants back up, but Medusa jumped in too, unbuttoning his shirt, having somehow already finished with his vest.

His protests were silenced by Medusa, who kissed him, making him freeze up. As she pulled back from the once more dazed Naruto, she laughed. "Just let it happen, Naruto-sama." It was at that point that Jiraya appeared in Naruto's room.

He opened his mouth before his eyes. "Oi, gaki, Mina-" When he finally opened his eyes, they nearly popped out of their sockets. He found Anko pulling down Naruto's boxers while Medusa had her hands beginning to travel down south along his chest. Naruto himself had a dopey smile on his face, a trail of saliva connecting his mouth to Medusa's.

Jiraya's mouth opened and closed many times before he got any words out, during which time, Naruto regained his bearings and got out of the two women's clutches and was in front of Jiraya, buttoning his shirt. "Yes, Jiraya? You were saying?"

Jiraya blinked for a moment before addressing him. "Uh, Minato wanted to speak with you for a moment. It's somewhat important, but you can, uh, relax a bit after your mission."

Medusa was about to grab him by the back of the collar to drag him back, something he sensed, when he responded. Very quickly. "Oh, uh, I'll deal with it now." He disappeared from his apartment just as Medusa's hand was closing in around his collar, making her sigh before looking to Anko, who was pouting in similar disappointment. They quickly kicked the Sennin out, as he was getting a nosebleed seeing Anko like that.

Naruto appeared inside of Minato's office, his face slightly flushed but looking a bit relieved. Composing himself a second or so after he appeared, he bowed. "Hai, Minato-sama."

Minato flinched at the formality, even when they were in private. "No need to be so formal, Naruto-kun." Naruto shrugged, making Minato sigh. "Well, I have something to speak with you about regarding your team. I feel as though you're a bit too dangerous to be around them, so I'm removing you from Team Seven." Naruto raised a brow, but said nothing, not wanting to assume anything before Minato spoke.

"Regardless, you are too strong to be learning from Kakashi, even as strong as he is in his own right. From what I've learned, you made him stronger, rather than the other way around, yes?" Naruto nodded. "Well, that's my point exactly. I feel like I have a better sensei for you; someone strong enough to really teach you things."

Naruto raised a brow at that. "And who might that be? Konoha doesn't really have an abundance of shinobi who can best me. Only a few, really. Not even a handful." It was at that moment that a puff of smoke appeared and kabuki music began playing.

"Grown men cower in fear and women tremble in awe! Children call me-" Naruto was having none of the entrance this time, so he sent a strong gust of wind into the smoke cloud where he felt Jiraya was.

He fell to the ground. HARD. As Jiraya rolled around, clutching the back of his head, Naruto sighed. "God damn it, Minato."

Minato chuckled nervously. "W-well, you already know he is rather strong, despite his antics." Naruto nodded, still not too pleased, but not quite displeased either. He just waited for Jiraya to stop playing the fool instead of judging him.

When Jiraya finally got up, he gave Naruto a glare. "What's the big idea, ruining my entrance like that!?" Naruto had seen it before and told him as much.

Minato interrupted their small conversation with a cough. "Well, you two can talk later, but I still have some things to say before we move on. You can still train with your team as you normally do, as Jiraya will only be in the village a few times in a month. The only difference is that, when the chunin exams roll around in August, you'll be alone, which I think is fair, all things considered." Kushina didn't agree, but held her tongue, the matter having already been decided and accepted by Naruto.

Naruto nodded. "Alright. Anything else?"

Jiraya took the chance to tease him remembering how he found him earlier. "What, eager to get back to your two lady friends? I'm sure they want to pick up where you left off, gaki. No, you're a man now; I can't call you that anymore."

Kushina flipped at that. "WHAT!?" She marched up to Naruto, who barely had time to give Jiraya a death glare before she was upon him. Stopping in front of him and smiling far too sweetly with her eyes closed, she addressed the somewhat wary teen. "Naruto-kun," she began sweetly, "is he lying?"

Naruto felt oddly scared, a shiver running through him. "Uh, n-no?"

Her eyes opened and he suddenly felt very small. Fortunately for him, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, Kushina just broke down in tears. "NOOOOO! MY SON'S A PERVERT!" Naruto breathed a sigh of relief but realized he wasn't out of the woods yet. "Having sex at this age!" She was suddenly in front of Minato, choking him. "This is your fault! He inherited YOUR looks!"

Naruto could only sweat drop. _'Okay, maybe I AM fine.' _He began to feel a bit bad for Minato, though, so he attempted to calm Kushina down.

Resting a hand on her shoulder, he began to comfort her. "Now, now, I'm not a pervert, Ku- Kaa-san." The use of the title alone made her calm down a large amount, but her hands were still rather tightly holding Minato's neck. "I'm just... popular... and, uh, healthy. Yes, I'm a healthy teen. D-don't worry about it too much, okay?"

His words made it better until he mentioned that he was just about a teen, making her crying redouble. "I'M A TERRIBLE MOTHER!" Thankfully for Minato, she let go of his neck and latched onto Naruto. Minato gave the panicked Naruto a thankful look, wishing him luck through their eyes, even as Naruto was pleading for help.

Naruto awkwardly reached around and gave Kushina a hug. "Shh. You're a fine mother. It's not your fault; this is just the way I am. You didn't fail in teaching me anything, you just didn't get the chance. Don't beat yourself up about it." She slowly came down, nodding her head, but she still had the sniffles.

Naruto had an idea. "Hey, how about you and Minato have another child? This time, there's no chance of another Kyuubi incident happening, so you can raise this one together." In his head, he added, _'And leave me the fuck alone!'_

She was off of Naruto in an instant, dragging Minato away. As they left the room, Minato shouted obscenities at Naruto, who smiled deviously before disappearing, leaving Jiraya, who'd began to scribble in his little book, mumbling to himself. "And the she dragged him off to fuck... Oh, this next book is gonna be GOOD."

Naruto appeared in front of Ichiraku Ramen, his favorite place for ramen. Walking in, he smiled as he saw the two ramen chefs preparing for the afternoon rush. Sitting down silently, he waited for the two to notice him. When, after a minute or so, it seemed like they were gonna work themselves to death, he decided to act.

Deepening his voice so that it didn't sound like his, he spoke. "Uh, hello. I'll have the Naruto Special."

Teuchi told Ayame to keep working before addressing their customer. "Are you sure you can-" He stopped when he realized who was sitting there, smiling.

"Oh, I'm sure I can eat it all," he said, returning his voice to normal, making Ayame whirl around, almost dropping the ramen she was working on. "Hey, Teuchi-jii-san, Ayame-nee-chan. I just got ba-"

He was cut off by a hug from Ayame, who did drop her ramen this time and leapt the counter. "Otouto! Where've you been!" Naruto chuckled, hugging her back.

When he released, he noticed the lack of business, but resolved to ask about it later. "Well, being a shinobi isn't easy, you know. I was just on a mission for more than a week in Nami no Kuni, and that's right after I'd just gotten back from a mission from Katabami Village. I've been rather busy. BUT, I'll probably have a mission break for a little while, as I just completed an A-Ranked mission, so I'll be around for a while... after I get back from Kiri, which is where I'm going to be for the next week or so, starting tomorrow"

Though Ayame pouted at losing Naruto again, Teuchi laughed. "Well, that's good to hear, Naruto-kun. You order your special, right? Well, we have enough already prepared to give you that much. It's on the house."

Naruto shook his head. "No, none of that, now. I don't see customers coming in droves, so I don't feel right taking anything free right now." Teuchi sighed but complied, handing him a few bowls.

As Naruto picked up his chop sticks, he paused. "Itadakimasu!" Then, be broke them apart, digging in. He spent the next hour talking with them about how things had been, how things are going, and what they planned on doing. Generally catching up with what he considered his family. Eventually, he decided that he'd spent enough time with them and left, paying for his meal... and then some, though Teuchi was loathe to accept it, regardless of its size.

As Naruto left, deciding to take a walk, he saw that the looks he was getting persisted, though the fear diminished without his intimidating company and the giant ass sword on his back. In his head, he hard Kurama laugh at him. **'Well, the little harem you've been forming may end up increasing to village wide scale. Good luck with that, ningen.'**

Naruto could only scowl. 'Shut the fuck up, Kurama. I won't screw each and every girl that wants me to at least a bit. That is NOT how I work.'

Kurama scoffed before he replied, Kogo giggling in agreement with him before he even spoke. **'That didn't seem to be the case just a few hours ago.'**

Naruto mentally growled, still walking around aimlessly. 'Oh, you KNOW I didn't go in there looking for a fuck.' They were silent, but he could practically FEEL their disbelief. Sighing, he made a clone to go check on the goings on of the yakuza clone he had going for the past week or so.

When he refocused on his surroundings, he saw that he was in front of a park that some of the other kids used to play at while he watched from the swings. His eyes glazed over as he saw some kids playing kick the can, a smaller version of himself appearing in the swing. He shook his head, dispelling the image from his view.

Off to the side, there were some parents chatting happily until their child got hurt, falling and scraping his knee. As he was struggling not to cry, his parent came over to him, checking on him, seeing if he was okay. As Naruto watched, he didn't notice that his grip on the chain links in the fence that surrounded the playground had increased to the point of deforming it.

An image flashed in Naruto's head. One of him trying to be tough as a child, holding a bleeding knee as two figures were by his side. They had no face he could discern, making Naruto scoff as he turned around, releasing the fence and walking the completely opposite direction. _'Of course. I keep forgetting about that little fact.'_

As he walked, Kogo commented on what just transpired. **'You seem rather moody, Naru-kun.' **

He just sighed. 'Memories and what-ifs. I just slipped up is all. Don't worry, this won't become a thing. I'll make sure of that.'

He got no response, but the concerned feeling he got from Kogo was enough to make a growl rise from his throat. Forcing it down, he told himself how stupid he was being. A voice in the back of his head just told him to blow the park up, but he forced THAT thought down real quick. Sighing at his ruined mood, he just went home, not even remembering to send a clone to check if Medusa and Anko were still waiting for him.

Appearing in his home, he found Anko with Medusa between her legs, her head trapped there by Anko's legs. Neither of them SAW him, so he silently made his way to his door, suppressing his chakra and youki to minimal levels.

It was too late, though, as an arrow appeared beneath him, shooting him onto his bed, much to his annoyance. Sighing as Anko fell back onto the bed, her lower body twitching slightly, he waited for Medusa to address him.

He didn't have to wait long as she got up, an abnormally long tongue slithering out of her mouth, licking her lips of the fluid that was on them. "Well, Naruto-sama, we had to begin without you. But you're free to join in, if you wish. I think I've prepared her well enough for-"

She was stopped by Naruto who held up a hand, not even looking at her as he sat on the end of his bed. "I... I'm not in the mood to mindlessly fuck right now, Medusa-chan." Medusa was surprised at the fact that he wasn't jumping in at the sight in front of him.

Sighing, she scooted over to him. "What's the matter, Naruto-sama?" She sensed the light turmoil in his chakra, reflecting his mental state. He spilled what had just happened at the park to her, even giving her a bit of background on him. Anko had recovered and joined them, sitting on his other side, though she didn't bother to clothe herself, not feeling embarrassed in the slightest in front of him. She listened just as intently as Medusa. When he finished, they were all quiet for a bit.

Medusa was the first one to speak. "Well, it seems like you have regrets of some sort. Do you have a parent figures?"

Naruto scowled. "Only one person really raised me, and she was killed a while back. My actual parents missed their chance, though they still try."

Anko decided to join the conversation. "Well, who ARE your parents, Naruto-chan?"

He only hesitated a moment. "It's a village secret, so if you spill it without permission, I can't guarantee your safety." She nodded, accepting the responsibilities of the knowledge. "I'm the son of Kushina Uzumaki and the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze."

Anko was silent for a while but Medusa's eyes narrowed. "You said they weren't your parents."

He looked at her, not even flinching at the look he was receiving. "I lied. If I just told you in front of everyone, it wouldn't be much of a secret, now would it." She crossed her arms and looked away with a "Hmph!"

After a moment of silence, Naruto chuckled, thankful for the amusement. Medusa smiled as he laughed. "Well, Naruto-sama, I can't help you get over that, but I'll be here if you need to talk. I am your mate, after all."

Anko pouted before grabbing his hand. "You have me too, Naruto-chan. I owe you at least that much."

Naruto shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Well, thanks, I guess. I feel like I just need to talk about it sometimes. Sadly, I do have emotions, and they're really strong. I guess I have you two when they get too strong, ne?"

He got nods from both of them, but after a moment's silence, in which he was about to get up, Anko brought the hand she was still holding down to her crotch. "We're not done with you yet, Naruto-chan."

Medusa nodded. "We helped you, so now it's time for you to help us." Medusa pushed him onto his back and Anko ripped through his pants with a kunai after pulling them onto the bed in a quick motion, making him cry out in protest. Said cry was transformed into a muffled groan as Medusa, now but naked, sat on his face and Anko finished pulling down his boxers, rubbing his trouser snake.

In his mind, he heard Kurama and Kogo cheering him on, and he finally stopped struggling. _'Fuck it. They're too persistent.' _Making a few clones, much to Medusa's excitement and Anko's light apprehension, he let himself get into it.

Anko was on her hands and knees between his legs, so a clone needed only set himself behind her to have easy access. Lining himself up, he stopped for a moment, teasing with his head. "A great man once said something that I never thought I would repeat." The clone smirked for a moment. "Fuck her right in the pussy!" The resulting groan made Naruto wonder if his soundproofing of every room in the building would be enough.

* * *

A/N: Ah, such a citrus-filled ending. I may end up saving any actual lemons until I feel like there's more of an intimate scene going on rather than, well, this. I'm not sure how I'll write the next chapter, but I know that there will be a rather large plot point coming up for the story. Like, BIG, as in it changes things in more way than one, even if you guys don't know it. Harem time, which I am going to miss when I finally choose to close it.

(**Bold=Confirmed**, _Italics=Possible_)

**Kogo(Fem Kyuubi)**

**Fem Haku**

**Fu**

**Hinata**

**Fem Sasuke**

**Fem Gaara**

**Fem Hidan**

**Yugito**

**Anko**

**Matatabi**

**Shizuka**

_Tayuya: 2_

_Temari: 4_

_Tenten: 4_

_Shion: 6_

_Mei: 6_

_Ino: 1_

_Pakura: 1_

_Maki: 1_

_Fem Kakashi: 3_

Yup, by next chapter, I feel as though this whole harem will be set in stone, and I'll have to work on writing it in. Hell, I should just cut it off here, but I'll give one more chapter for any one who wants to vote, maybe try to give an explanation for their choice that's convincing enough to work. Ah, the tasks I set for myself. Oh well, it'll be a good experience, writing wise. I just wonder how I'll be able to pull it off.

Also, Naruto is barely a teen but his body has been maturing at an advanced rate for a long time and his mind has been sculpted into a far more mature state by his experiences and ANBU training, which has a serious psychological aspect to it. He could be like a bitter, old man right now, to be honest with you. I doubt I'll have him in a "fuck away the pain" state, but I don't really know how this story will turn out either, so for all I know, it could end up like that at a point. It sure as hell won't stay like that, but we'll see how things go. Regardless, read and review. Seriously, even if you're just pointing out mistakes, it helps.


	12. Kiri Day 1: Didn't see that coming, huh?

A/N:

Back to my roots

with a special delivery:

A whole new chapter

Of my first story, String Theory

Sorry, just practicing for Killer B, whenever he makes an appearance. I need to get actually good at that if I want to even attempt it. Ugh. Anyway, I'm back! Was having some trouble on deciding how to do this, so I took a break to focus on my other two stories. It really helps, if I'm honest with you. Anyway, this chapter is gonna be the first part of a mini-arc in the story, riiiiight before the chunin exams. It'll feel like it's own small story, but don't worry about that too much. I am well aware.

On a side note, I have other things I plan on implementing into Naruto's character, so if you think the Naruto you see now is the one you'll have in, say, five to six chapters, you are sorely mistaken. Not gonna drop any serious bombs, but I will give you that, and this. A BIG one is coming. Enough of my rambling, though. Enjoy!... Or not. Still lack the power to force you to like it(sadly).

* * *

Laying back in bed, Naruto was REALLY glad he was himself at that moment. _'If I wasn't, that probably would've killed me... Would've died happy, at least.'_

Shrugging, he sat up and looked at his clock. "Holy fuck on a stick," was all he could really say when he saw how late it was. It was already 10 in the morning, which meant he'd have to go decently fast to get there in a reasonable time.

With a thought, he appeared in front of his mirror, fully clothed already. "I look like shit." His version of looking like shit was his hair being slightly messed up from people gripping onto it. The shorter parts were sticking up, the longer parts bent at an angle. To others, it wasn't so bad, but to him, it was nothing short of evil.

Using chakra as a comb, he just disappeared, resolving to this on his way out. Appearing in front of the room he gave to Zabuza, he knocked quickly. When the man answered, Naruto didn't even give him a chance to speak, though it probably wouldn't have been much, with how tired the Kiri nuke-nin looked.

"Wipe the sleep out of your eyes or suck it up, because we're late. Grab Haku, Meizu, and Gozu in the next 10 minutes, else I'm coming for you myself." He neglected to mention that it was technically his fault, but that was beside the point.

His sharp voice seemed to shock Zabuza into his normal state of awareness. "Yeah, yeah, gaki. How about YOU try sleeping in the most comfortable bed you've had in years and just get up like that." Despite his grumbling, he went back inside and tried rousing the other 3 shinobi.

Naruto, on the other hand, rolled his eyes, though he understood. Arriving in the Hokage's office with a thought, he was surprised to see Jiraya on the ground, a large lump on his head, Kushina glowering at Minato, and Minato trying his hardest to calm her down.

"Ahem!" he interrupted, as his time was a bit tighter that it should've been.

Jiraya seemed to shoot up at his voice, embracing him before he could even put up any resistance. "I am so proud of you! Still a genin and already getting two at once!" Tears were streaming down the man's face, making Naruto roll his eyes.

"I don't have time for this. We can do this in a week, but I gotta get going if I want to get there before 5 pm. And I want to get there before 5 pm." It was a simple matter for him to appear outside of Jiraya's grip.

Minato was happy for the distraction. "Ah, yes. Here are your papers, allowing you permission for a long term leave, and a trade request between Konoha and whomever becomes Mizukage when you are done. Do enjoy the vacation. Oh, and don't bring back any granddaughters for me just yet." Despite saying that, his eyes were glancing at Kushina, who's eyes were shadowed by her hair.

Rolling his eyes for the second time in the past minute or two, he nodded. "We'll talk about you spying on me when I return." The group of S-Ranked shinobi stiffened, but he was gone before anything could be said.

Appearing in front of Zabuza's designated living spaced, Naruto knocked. He was greeted by a full dressed Zabuza, Kubikiri attached and all. Behind him were the other three. "Good. And here I was thinking I'd have to do that the hard way." Gozu and Meizu shivered, remembering what "the hard way" entailed. From their reaction, Haku was glad she didn't know what the hard way was.

It was a few minutes later that they were dashing out of the gates at high chunin speeds. It was a snail's pace to Naruto, but he knew this was the most efficient. _'Wait a second. The fuck am I DOING!?' _

Stopping suddenly, making the others do the exact same thing, he face palmed. "Okay, so I was being dumb. Sorry about that."

A voice behind him agreed. "Yes you were, Naruto-sama. How could you leave me behind?"

"I knew you would get here, Medusa-chan," Naruto responded with a sigh, not even bothering to turn around to the pouting demon. "I meant that I'm doing this the long way for no good reason." Everyone but Medusa, who nodded, looked at him in confusion. "I can get us to the water in an instant. This is a waste of my time."

Zabuza's eye twitched, but he held his tongue. Annoying Naruto when he held the ability to save him time wasn't a good idea. _'When we get there, I'm kicking the gaki's ass. Super powers be damned.' _The rest of his group was of a similar mind, though Gozu and Meizu were a bit more expressive. Naruto didn't even have to look to see the two brothers flipping him off.

Ignoring their actions, he just began concentrating. "Stay quiet for a moment," he said as Medusa was about to speak. His eyes were closed as he concentrated on pushing his chakra as far out as he could, even delving into nature. "It's an extremely long jump from here to the coast, and I don't normally stretch my range THAT much."

Complete silence followed his words, and it continue for half a minute. Suddenly, Naruto snapped his eyes open. "Grab on." he commanded, his voice stern.

In his head, Kurama yawned and asked, **'Why don't you just use the other one?'**

'Some secrets,' he responded to the demon fox in his head, 'should be kept as long as possible. You know what it entails.' He felt a mental shrug from the fox. 'Oh, and wake the fuck up. Yagura's a jinchuriki, so I'll probably return the favor if he uses Isobu-san's power.'

Feeling the fox wave him off and snoring ensue not long after, Naruto began wondering if he should decrease the seal to let them have more energy. _'Nah. They asked for this. Who knows, I might be able to do a full body transformation at this point.'_

It was a simple matter to teleport after that, having already locked onto his target destination. They all appeared above the water, the four Kiri-natives coming out a bit wobbly and looking a bit green but staying standing. They even managed to stay floating on the water.

Giving them an appraising look, Naruto commented on that. "Surprised you managed to stay up af-" It was at that moment that Gozu and Meizu simultaneously pulled up their masks and threw up in the water. "Never mind what I was saying," Naruto deadpanned.

Medusa laughed at them behind him. Then, she leaned on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think I'm feeling a bit nauseous too, Naruto-sama. Could you carry me?"

Flicking her on the head, he responded, though he couldn't help but smirk. "Don't try it right now, Medusa-chan." She pouted but let him go. Shaking his head at her, he just told them to get ready for the next jump. "I'm placing us right in front of Mei next time, so be prepared to defend yourselves. You know how jumpy they are." They nodded and, once the demon brothers got their shit together, they disappeared again, this time going underground.

* * *

Kirigakure Rebel Base- Office of Mei Terumi

* * *

Once they appeared in front of Mei, they were immediately assaulted by Chojuro, who tried to smash them into smears of blood with his Hiramekarei, and Ao attempting to turn them into pin cushions while Mei just looked up at them, a smile on her face.

Thankfully, Chojuro was blocked by Zabuza and all of the senbon thrown by Ao were stopped in midair, courtesy of Naruto. "Great to see you guys too. Love the welcome. Is there poison tea as well? Maybe spikes flying out the walls, no, the floors next."

Mei narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before they widened. "Naruto-chan?"

With a roll of his eyes, he made his hair blacken completely. His whisker marks receded completely, making him look just like the Naruto they knew. "The one and only. I have a few faces I go by, but I guess you know this one better." Everyone's eyes were locked on him until Zabuza began the chuckle.

"This kid..." he commented before shaking his head and continuing his chuckling. "Hehe. Fuck it; ain't even surprised anymore." Everyone but Haku nodded, as she hadn't even known him for that long, let alone as long as anyone there had.

Once the tension had been fully diffused by his reveal, Naruto went back to his "normal" look. "I prefer to look like this, nowadays." was his response to the looks he got for the change. "Now, I think we have some things to discuss, Mei." She continued to smile at him, but, just as she went to respond, he continued. "I'm kicking the shit out of Yagura later today."

She lost her smile at that. "On such short notice? We can't really organize an attack THAT quickly, Naruto-chan."

"You don't need to," he responded. "All you need to do is be ready to clean up. Not sure how hard the fight is gonna be, but I don't wanna deal with the fall out and clean up after this. Gonna try and keep the damage light, though no promises on the casualties."

Mei scowled. "And that's why you shouldn't do it. Wait for us to rally the soldiers. They'll be overjoyed to hear you're back, anyway."

"And they'll be even happier to hear I put an end to this. Besides, just because they are less destructive doesn't make them anywhere near as efficient as me." She had nothing to dispute his comeback with. "Fine, though. Rally the entire army. I guess it'll be better if they're ready to jump in. Don't get their hopes up on being too big a part; this really won't take long." He turned to walk out at that point but stopped as he reached the door. "By the way, how's Ringo-chan?" There was a silence that followed as his answer. "Ah. I see. She's still alive, though. Right?"

Mei nodded sadly. "Yes, Naruto-chan... but not for long."

Sighing, Naruto leaned against the door. Pushing himself upright, he turned back to face the group, finding Medusa right next to him. "Medusa-chan?"

"Yeeeeeees, Naruto-sama?" She tried to cheer him up slightly, as he looked a bit down, but her playful tone didn't help.

Closing his eyes, he put his hand over them for a moment. "Just... Mei, can she stay with you for a bit?" Mei nodded respectfully. "Good. She can find me if you need me for anything. Rally your soldiers, but don't tell them that I'm back." He managed a small smirk. "I'm in the mood to surprise them now. Be back in 2 hours." With that, he disappeared completely, making Ao tense slightly. The last time he fought someone that fast was when he fought Shisui, and it wasn't a good experience for him.

Mei turned to Medusa, who was pouting slightly. "So... who are you?" She was smiling again as she got up, rolling up the many battle plans she had on her desk.

"Oh me?" Medusa asked teasingly. "Nobody. I'm just Naruto-sama's mate." She smiled at the looks that came over Mei, Ao, and the now no longer tense Chojuro's faces.

* * *

Kirigakure Rebel Base- Infirmary

* * *

Naruto, on the other hand, had just appeared in the infirmary of the rebel's base, right on top of Ameyuri Ringo's chakra signature. "Wow... you look like shit, Go-tan." She'd been lying down, a somewhat depressed and defeated expression on her face. Her skin was pale and her chakra seemed to be weakening. He could feel her dying. She'd evidently taken out the IV that she was hooked up to anyway, making it worse, but it seemed like she'd accepted death.

Ameyuri opened her eyes and quickly grinned, her shark like teeth on display. "Nice to see you too, gaki." Somehow, she could recognize him no matter what face he took, which Naruto just took in stride.

At the title, though, Naruto's eye twitched slightly. "You're only a few years older than me." She grinned again, making Naruto scowl. "...Hag." Her grin dropped, and they began to have a staring contest, which looked rather odd with one of them bedridden.

After a few moments, they began laughing, even as she sat up. It was interrupted as she began to cough, bringing her hand up to her face. When she brought it away, it was covered in blood. There was even some dripping from her lips, though she quickly wiped it away, trying to put up a strong front. "I'm fine," she said, answering the question she thought was coming before it could be asked.

Naruto wasn't going to ask her that, though. He just looked at her sadly. "It got worse, huh?" She nodded, not looking at him. Her hands were clenched on her bed sheets.

Sighing sadly, Naruto sat on the side of her bed, not saying a word. Eventually, he spoke. "I brought something back for you." Sticking out his hands, he watched as they sunk into nothingness before coming back with his goal. In his hands had appeared the dual lightning-controlling blades, the Kibas.

She stared at him, wide eyed. "How... Raiga..." Then she grinned. "Nice. Figured he'd lose 'em fast, but glad it was to you. Do me a favor and take care of those, 'kay."

Naruto shook his head, placing them in her lap. "You can do that."

Scowling, she glared at him. "Don't fuck with me, Naruto. You know I can't wield these anymore. I can barely walk."

In contrast to her response, Naruto grinned. "And I plan on changing that." Getting up, he stretched. "Sorry it took so long, but I can heal you now. Seriously, I'm sorry you had to suffer for so long. But I sure as hell ain't letting you die while I can help it."

Ameyuri looked at him in disbelief before it turned to anger. "Stop getting my hopes up, you fuck! There IS no cure for this, and you know it!"

Shaking his head, Naruto responded to her calmly, making her anger spike before she calmed down, hearing his words. "I guess I should rephrase that, then. I'm not healing you, I'm fixing you." At her questioning look, he continued. "You're beyond healing, at this point, but if I get rid of the problem, literally, and add something that prevents it from resurfacing, you'll be fine." She blinked at him owlishly. "I'm gonna fix your lungs or replace them with healthy ones. These would be immune to the disease. Then, I'll alter your DNA sequence ever so slightly, getting rid of it completely so new, unhealthy cells can't spawn."

She blinked at him once more, but this time her confusion was less on what he was saying and more on what it implied. "You're a medic? Since when?"

"Nope!" he said, popping the 'p'. "I don't really wanna get down to the details, but let's just say that I can decide who lives and who dies. Not quite a god, but I'm getting there." She stared at him for a bit, unreadable to most people, but Naruto knew her well enough to know she was weighing her options. "You do know you have nothing to lose, right? I can patch you up, you'll recover in a day, two days tops, and you can get you're life back."

"Yeah," she agreed, "but I'll owe you."

He stared at her in disbelief, but he heard Kogo chuckling in his head. **'Hey, at least you matter to her.' **He ignored the comment.

Shaking his head, he chuckled. "Just think of this one as a freebie." She scowled slightly, making Naruto rethink his offer so it wouldn't hurt her pride. "Alright, if that ain't good for you, then think of it as me paying you back for teaching me to use a short-sword... with a few year's interest. That good?" She nodded in acceptance. "Good. I'll get started immediately."

"Now!?" she asked, shocked.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto nodded. "I'm going and fight Yagura in a few hours, so I'll probably be a bit tired afterwards, and I need a decent amount of concentration for this kind of procedure. I'm only here for a week, you know."

She relented after a little bit of thinking. "Alright, fine. But if you fuck this up and I die, I swear I will haunt you." He rolled his eyes, but a small smile was on his face.

In an instant, a pre-filled needle was in his hands and he was ready to stick it into her. She looked at him in confusion, prompting him to explain. "I've been prepared for this for a little while now. I already made replacement lungs with the DNA sample I, ah, borrowed last time I was here." She glared at him but did nothing as he stuck the needle in her arm, trusting his preparations.(A/N: I'm pretty sure they are supposed to be hooked up before anesthetics are administered, but oh well.)

* * *

**You can skip this part. It's just me testing my knowledge and research skills. Seriously, you may find it rather boring.**

* * *

A few moments later, she was out like a light. "Well, she ain't getting up for a few hours." Taking a deep breath before exhaling deeply, he got down to business. As he decontaminated the air by filling it with enough youki in its naturally poisonous state to kill any bacteria then kept it up to stop anything microorganisms from entering, he began speaking to himself. "Okay, I've already minimized the risk of rejections, same for disruption of bronchiole anastemosis." He really got into a quick run down of every problem he could encounter and his fixes as he removed her swords from her hands, disinfected his hands, got gloves, then disinfected those before donning them.

Despite telling her that he wasn't a medic, he was currently in full doctor mode. He'd studied way too many books and practiced far too much to not be qualified at this point_ 'I thought it may have only been a nonlethal case of pulmonary embolism when the first signs of hemoptysis arose, but sadly, after feeling out her lungs when I got here, I can truly confirm TB, and a nasty case at that, along with a few tumors in there. I could just get rid of the lungs and everything in there, or I can kill everything in there. Thing is, I don't know if the tumors are benign or malignant... Gonna have to test, I guess.'_

With a sigh, he reached his hand out, letting it sink into the air again, and pulled, a table of extremely pointy tools following it. With complete silence, he began to hook her up to all the necessary devices, knowing that this would be needed if he were to open her up. _'Ain't doing this blind, even if I can. No need to make it harder.' _

Taking a long needle, he sent continuous pulses of chakra into her body, mapping it out to him in high detail. He guided the needle into a tumor, seeking to gain a biopsy sample just for confirmation. Once he got it out, he exhaled deeply, not realizing he was holding his breath for so long. _'Fine needle aspiration, complete.' _

After storing the samples in formalin momentarily, he prepared his hyoton chakra conversion seals to quick freeze the tissue in a block of wax. _'Note to self: work on doing this one without seals. Maybe ask Haku for help...'_ Shaking his head, he put himself back on task.

Once he accomplished that, he sliced it into microscopically thin slices with a chakra string he focused most of his mind on in that moment, each slice as thick as a cell. Each slice he made was placed on a glass slide he made out of thin air. After observing it extremely closely, having a clone document every abnormality he called out to it, he went over everything he'd found, eventually diagnosing it as cancerous.(A/N: I know this should take longer, but he's all the specialists wrapped into one with a high-speed mind and skills that make it go much faster.) Thankfully, it was only limited to the lung, making this next job easier... well, not as difficult.

Sighing, he told his clone to prep Ameyuri for it as he went and dealt with his tools. When he was ready, he made a few more clones, each similarly dressed to him. _'I'm gonna need more hands.' _Before he did anything, though, he checked everything he had his clone set up. "Catheter positioned in contralateral pulmonary artery, check..."

After getting that all done, he turned to one of his clones. "You monitor that display as if your life is on the line. Her pulmonary artery pressure, systemic arterial pressure, oxygen saturation, or anything else begins dropping, you call it out. I don't care if someone walks in, binds, and gags you before dropping you into a room with a drunk Mei. Get. Those. Stats. Out. Am I understood?" He got a salute from his clone, making him nod thankfully.

He turned to another. "We're doing a standard left lung first, okay? You cover the endotracheal tube." Another clone. "You get the blocking balloon." So it went for the few jobs, making sure everything was handled by a clone that could devote the entirety of its focus to the task. There were more than enough clones to go around, considering his nigh infinite clone production potential.

"Alright," he said after his clones started staring at him with annoyance from his constant management, "Let's just get this over with." (A/N: No, I won't type up the surgery, especially since he's doing the lungs one at a time.)

* * *

**Okay, boring part over. Reading can commence once more.**

* * *

After it was all over, Naruto, once she was awake and free of all the machines, looked down on her as she tried to feel what was different. "You know," he began, interrupting her thoughts, "it won't feel that different. If anything, they should feel normal. Like it doesn't hurt to breathe and you aren't coughing up blood." Her eyes widened when she realized he was right.

Looking down at her chest, she realized she was shirtless, though, with just some bandages wrapped around her chest. Just as her head snapped back up to him, he held the hilts of her swords in front of her face. "I'm professional enough to not cop a feel, Ringo-chan." Grabbing the blades, she just stuck her tongue out at him. "I accelerated your healing, but I recommend you still stay in bed for the rest of the day, even into tomorrow. Don't know how your body is reacting to the new lungs."

She frowned but didn't defy him. "I feel fine, though. Don't know why I gotta sit in this kami forsaken bed any longer." Naruto glared at her, showing he was not budging on this matter. "Fine, fine. I'll stay and rest." Naruto sighed, knowing she'd be up within ten minutes of him leaving.

Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was almost time for him to go. "I gotta go now, but I'll be back. So, uh, try not to kill yourself."

She laughed as he disappeared, and even after he did, loving the feeling of being able to do so normally, without worry of a coughing fit. Once she was done, she looked at the spot he once occupied and grinned. "You've become quite the meal, Naruto. Can't wait for our next fight." She just laid back in her bed for a little bit, though it only lasted a few minutes until she got up and started practicing with her Kibas.

* * *

Kirigakure Rebel Base- Main Exit Point

* * *

Mei was standing in front of every able bodied soldier she could muster, making them wait without telling them the reason. It was quite annoying for them to scramble so quickly without receiving an explanation, but they did it anyway, believing their leader had a plan. Her making them wait just made them all the more anxious.

"Where in the world is he?" is the censored version of what was going through her head at that moment. As if on cue, Naruto appeared next to her, though she'd been expecting it for the past 10 minutes, so she didn't even jump.

Chojuro, on the other hand, yelped rather pathetically, making Zabuza, who was leading a company, snicker, many other joining in until Chojuro's face was a bright red. "Sorry, Chojuro," Naruto apologized insincerely. Not one person believed he meant it when he was trying to hold back his laughter as well.

Once everyone was serious again, they began whispering among themselves, questioning who he was. As he was standing in front of Mei, he just began speaking. "Oi! Shut it and listen!" Everything got quiet, as he'd enhance his vocal cord with chakra, making his voice boom out over the area, drowning out all other sound. "Good. Last time I was here, we were screwed over by a rat. I'd imagine you've taken care of that problem since then, yes?" They were beginning to piece together his identity, but not fast enough for his liking.

"Well, if that's taken care of, then I'm taking down Yagura today. I'm getting a rematch." With that, he made his face go back to lacking whisker marks and his hair became black with the blue tint. Once everyone recognized him, there was complete silence before they all began cheering.

"Naruto-sama's back!"

"We can't lose now!"

"Yagura is goin' down this time! Naruto-sama is so much stronger than last time!"

Naruto took a bow, letting himself bask in it for a few moments. After a bit, he raised a hand, signalling for silence. "Originally, I planned on taking Yagura down alone, as a surprise for you all, but I feel like you should get to decide how this goes. Should I just go out there and handle this, like I intended to, or should I let you fight. No one would judge you for backing out, honest. I can't fight at my fullest when my any allies are around, but you would be there, which is good, I guess."

They were all silent, as Kiri shinobi had a sense of pride that made them averse to retreating or letting someone else take care of their problems, but, at the same time, Naruto was one of them, in their minds. That also made things worse. Should they put all the responsibility on one of their own? Naruto, seeing the conflict running across their, decided to make this easier on them. "Okay, lemme say this. I'm not cocky. I'm not an ass. But no one here but Mei has a chance against me, and even she doesn't have the ability to kill me, no matter what she does. I hate saying this, I really do, but you guys will only make this fight harder."

A few of them sounded outraged at that, while others honorably accepted this, knowing it was true. "I know that's a bitter pill to swallow for some of you, but you can ask Zabuza. I am not exaggerating."

All eyes turned to the wielder of the Kubukiri Boucho, who nodded reluctantly. "Gaki managed to make a giant-ass crater while just playing with his opponent." Knowing what he was talking about, Medusa began to blush a bit, rubbing her legs together. No one noticed her but Naruto, who smirked.

Back with Zabuza, he was telling them something so they could get an accurate grasp on the scope of Naruto's power. "He was fighting both Kisame, yes that Kisame, the Montai Bijuu, and Shunshin no Shisui, and was pretty much winning. Then, this other lady that made quick work of Kisame popped up. She's right next to Naruto, by the way." He gestured up to the demoness, who Naruto was smirking at. "He sent us all away then went to town on the chick. Blew her the fuck up with one giant blast of something. Cut off the top of a mountain before hand. Tamed literal lightning before that and struck her with it. Made a giant ass pillar with another explosion before that."

Everyone, once he was done, turned to Naruto with stunned eyes, even Mei. Naruto nodded at Zabuza in thanks before addressing the crowd. "I hope you get it now. Medusa-chan here is actually the only person I know who survived all of those... well, any of those, actually. Most others dodge it or die. Those are my army killers, but I won't use them if they destroy the army I'm fighting with as well. Counter-productive, you know." The entire crowd seemed to understand just how outmatched they were, and how doomed Yagura's forces were. They were fine with Naruto going through with this alone.

Turning to Mei with a smirk, he stuck his tongue out. "Ha! I told you I should go alone! They even agree with me now!"

Mei scowled but said nothing. Naruto had a bad feeling that she'd do something dumb, but brushed it off. _'I'll try and finish this before she has a chance to. Shouldn't take THAT long.' _Shaking his head, he turned to the rest of the forces. "I'll move this entire area underneath Kiri. Once things are over, you guys should probably go up there to detain the more zealous survivors and deal with the civilians. Sorry that you're delegated to clean up duty. I really am. Now, hold on tight." Naruto, once he finished giving his little announcement, closed his eye and seemingly concentrated for a second or two.

Moments later, everyone felt the ground beneath them shift suddenly, throwing many of them to the ground. Originally, the base was underwater a good distance from Kiri, but Naruto was forcing the entire base to change shape with his mind, much to their astonishment.

Once he was done, and everything stopped shaking, Naruto turned to Medusa. "You can come with me. Do well, and you get a reward..." Seeing the sparkles that entered her eyes, Naruto made sure to add a stipulation, and quickly. "...when we get back." She nodded vigorously, none the less, making Naruto sigh at her enthusiasm. _'I find it easy to believe she is half succubus. The rumors are right, though. The half-breeds ARE worse.'_

With a thought, Naruto pushed open part of the ceiling, making it look similar to a box opening. "Be ready to get out here." With that, he jumped up, Medusa following along behind him. A mere second later, they appeared in the center of Kiri, and Kiri ANBU appeared around them.

They didn't bother asking any questions, only attempting to slit Naruto's throat. The ANBU froze less than an inch from his target, a flash of thread becoming visible for an instant as he struggled before Naruto twitched a finger and his body was sliced to pieces. As were all his comrades.

Naruto just began walking towards the tower that he remembered held Yagura's office. Eventually, he was surrounded by a large amount of shinobi by that point, as the death of the ANBU had sent civilians running off and screaming, attracting the attention of any shinobi.

It was a simple matter for Naruto to send his strings out, entrapping many of them and slicing them to bits, but the rest were undeterred bu the display. Naruto pulled his hands in a diagonal motion across his chest, slashing the air in front of him. With the element of surprise on his side, he cleared a path for him to walk easily, leaving bloody patches, limbs, organs, and miscellaneous body parts in his wake.

Sadly, the advantage wouldn't last. The shock wore off quickly and, with multitude of tactics and the advantage of numbers on their side, the shinobi began to attack en mass, coming at Naruto in waves. The ANBU were roused in their entirety by that point, and all of them convened on Naruto's position, making his job harder, as they managed to dodge him, as he had all his seals still on. Having had enough of the bullshit, Naruto summoned up 200 clones and told them to go to work. Turning to Medusa, he gave his orders in a voice that made her blush. "If you do well enough, I'll reward you today."

With a sense of glee, she jumped into the fray, her jabs passing right through their bodies like a hot knife through butter. Landing in the middle of a group for a moment, she grabbed the arm of a man that tried to stab her in the back of the head with a kunai, ripped it off with ease, and bashed his skull in with it, creating a sickening thud, though it was music to her ears. She did a small back flip, as they backed up to gain some space from her.

Landing on a tail made of a black arrow stuck in the ground, she chuckled darkly as she surveyed her targets. **"Why'd you back away?" **Her voice was back to being as demonic as before, and the sound alone was enough to paralyze many of them. **"I have a prize waiting in Naruto-sama's pants, and you're keeping it from me. Let's make it quick." **Just as the arrows came from her back and hovered in the air ominously, many of them picked up on the name she'd said. Naruto.

The fear that she'd implanted in them doubled upon the realization of who the one they would've fought was. Thankfully for them, they weren't fighting him. Sadly, Medusa had surrounded a group of hundreds of them in a ring of arrows, one that was shrinking without their knowledge.

The arrows on her back shot forward at the same time the arrows she had on the ground forced many of them towards her against their will, flinging them right to their deaths. BY the end of the wave, it was a literal blood bath, as bodies hung of the arrows, bathing her in blood.

As her smile broadened from the look of horror on the faces of the shinobi outside the original range of her circle, a red glow entered her eyes, her face shadowed by her hair. **"C'mon. I don't wanna spend the rest of the day with you guys. Naruto-sama is so much better than any amount of you, so stop trying to entertain me with your inferior ability." **No one was sure whether she was talking about fighting or not, but they had more important things to worry about, like trying to stay alive. Not that worrying about it helped much.

* * *

With Naruto

* * *

Many of the ANBU, along with over half the army, had remained in Naruto's way, so he had to deal with them himself. Deciding to go with a divide and conquer strategy, Naruto split into his normal four forms. Ura Naruto glanced at Nagare, Kyodo, and Mujihi, giving them a silent message to begin immediately. Nagare went straight over the group of ANBU directly in front of them, while Mujihi shot off to the right, tearing through shinobi with invisible strings, Kyodo mirroring him on the left.

Ura Naruto just looked at the ANBU in front of him with a bored look. "You know I don't really care about you too much, more about Yagura. The more of you get in my way, the more of you will die. Not threatening you, just tellin' you what's gonna happen." He shrugged. "Well, the moment you go against me, your life is mine to do as I please, and that tends to be ending it. Your doing it willingly now. Washing my hands o-" One of the ANBU rushed him mid sentence, tanto drawn and poised to run him through the heart, though he just took it, the blade breaking against his skin once it got past his skintight sleeveless shirt. "I was talking, you know."

The ANBU jumped back, surprised but not forgetting her training. As soon as she was clear, a ball of water and a ball of lightning was headed Naruto's way. "Wow, you guys are suicidal." Naruto swung his leg in an arc, a compressed blade of pure force flying from it and blowing through the two jutsu with ease, carrying on to each of the casters, splitting them in two.

Naruto yawned, covering his mouth with his right hand as he put his left in his pocket. From his right side, a much larger bullet of water came at him from another ANBU, though he just brought his hand from his mouth and pointed a finger at it in a gun shape before jabbing his finger forward impossibly fast, a compressed bullet of pure force flying off. "Shigan: Dan(Finger Pistol: Bullet)." It flew through the attack, making it disperse around the point it was penetrated, but went on to go through its casters forehead, making the woman drop to the ground with a hole through her skull. Naruto just blew at the tip of his finger like a gun.

Naruto hooked his fingers together before cracking them. "Okay, I'll try to make them all as fast as that one, but no promises. It'll probably only get worse if you try too hard to dodge, but it'll only take a second or two longer, so be my guest. Or give up, that's an option too."

* * *

With Kyodo

* * *

Kyodo, once he'd stopped his run through the crowd and the pile of bodies ceased to grow, he stopped to take a look around. "Not the best, but I guess that makes my job easier." Thinking twice about it, he deactivated his chakra strings and brought out his two zanbatou. "At least try to make this interesting, ne?" With a single swing, he made a trench in the ground, splitting a house in half and utterly annihilating those who stood directly in the blast. "Gatsuga."

Lifting the sword from its position in the ground with ease, he looked around at the crowd of shinobi ready to attack him. "Tell you what, I'll even call out my attacks so you know when they're coming. Gatsuga." With that, he swung his sword horizontally, beheading the shinobi who'd jumped at him, and over a dozen behind him who were too slow to dodge. "I'll even keep them that weak."

With a series of them, Kyodo quickly found himself getting bored. They threw jutsu at him, but it was a simple matter to deflect or demolish them. They attacked him physically, but that ended rather badly, so it became rather rare. A few even tried illusions, which he barely felt and didn't even need to try in order to fend off. The even rushed him all at once at one point, but a quick spinning motion had ended that assault, decimating their numbers greatly.

Disappointed, he got rid of his swords. "I feel like I've shamed my blades by drawing them on grunts like you people. I'll just end this now, 'cause I don't see things getting too much better from here." Releasing many of his chakra seals, he let his ears and tails out, though they were distinctly... different. Specifically, they were feline and black. "Huh, that's new. Was expecting fox, but I like cats, so it ain't too bad." Some of his enemies would be laughing at him right then and there, if they weren't paralyzed by the output of raw chakra. It was enough that Kyodo was actually covered in a dense haze of it.

Shrugging, he turned his attention to the shinobi once more. "If you still wanna fight after this, you are officially crazy. And legitimately suicidal." Putting his now clawed hands in front of him, he channeled a large potion of his extremely potent chakra into the claws, creating a blue version of the claw attack that was used against Medusa. "Desgarron(Laceration). Hope this doesn't kill all of you, 'cause I don't wanna damaged Kiri's military TOO much." With that, he sent each set of five, huge, chakra claws off on either side of him, creating another set in the event of the rest of them being suicidal.

It tore through their ranks with ease, ripping bodies in two when it encountered a person and blowing those directly next to it away. Kyodo scoffed at the pathetic display. _'This is so much weaker than the one used against Medusa, but they can't even block it, let alone stop it. I don't think Kiri's military will miss these guys all that much.' _Shaking his head, he just looked to the remaining soldiers, finding them drop to their knees in surrender.

"Huh. Normally, they fight on in some fucked up sense of honor or pride. Glad to see Kiri shinobi are smarter than that. Hope for you guys yet, I guess." Kyodo shrugged. "Until then, gonna have to arrest ya'll. Sorry about that." With a snap of his fingers, cuffs appeared around each of their hands and wrists, but each of these were made purely out of chakra, and they were using up any decent chakra sources to sustain themselves, draining the ones they kept captive until they were too weak to break them then draining chakra at the same rate their body produced it to keep it that way.

* * *

With Mujihi

* * *

It was a simple matter for Mujihi to kill each and every shinobi there, as there wasn't a single kage-level ninja in the group, nor anyone even close, for that matter. "Ugh, I got stuck with the runts, didn't I?" There were genin, chunin, jonin, and a few ANBU thrown into the mix of those he was slaughtering, but he couldn't really tell the difference, as they all fared the same against the chakra strings, or youki strings, in his case, he was emitting from each finger tip.

They couldn't even get close to him through the storm of strings. He didn't even have to try in order to cut them down, just walk towards them, really. "This is getting real boring. C'mon, gimme some sort of challenge!" His request was met with absolutely nothing substantial. In the end, he turned them off, having been completely disappointed in the shinobi, but understanding the difficulty of his chakra string defense.

Instead, he made two clones, each of them landing in the crowd a distance away from him. "Gonna end this quick, because you shinobi wannabe's are starting to annoy me. Cero." He charged up a beam on a finger from each hand, aiming at his clones. At that point, he felt Kyodo spike his power. "I ain't releasing for these fuck-nuggets, but whatever. He probably just felt like ending it pretty quickly too. Unless he actually got someone strong in his crowd..." Thinking it over, he answered his own question. "Nah." With that, he fired, taking out the shinobi who'd jumped at him, trying to take advantage of his distracted state.

She was incinerated instantly by the beam, as were countless shinobi behind her. He'd fired the other one at the same time, creating two beams of destruction that carved a path through the forces. The beams impacted with the clones pretty quickly, but they just held out a hand each and bounced it back. Now Mujihi had a beam of chakra that got stronger with each passing second. So, naturally, he began to spin with it, using it like a lawn mower of doom, with the enemy shinobi being the grass. He'd definitely sell the creation, as every single one was cut down evenly, leaving not one standing.

* * *

With Nagare

* * *

Floating above a group of them, Nagare stared down with blank, green eyes. Even as they threw jutsu after jutsu at him, projectiles ranging from kunai to fuma shuriken, he didn't bother moving. He just stopped the simple attacks with a thought, the power nor chakra behind them strong enough to penetrate his barrier.

One of them even happened to have a katon chakra nature, rare for Kirigakure shinobi, but he still just stood in midair, staring down even as the excessive ball of fire engulfed him, though parted around him would be the more accurate way to describe it.

After a while, he just descended to the ground, the shinobi making a ring around him as he landed. Many drew kunai and braced themselves, other drew swords and prepared to attack or to receive one. But nothing happened. He didn't move a muscle. Until he spoke, that is. "I bear you all no grudge, but you stand in the way of Naruto-sama's will. For that reason, you will all fall. Blame your own stubbornness for your fates, as he only wishes to uproot the corruption of your government... No, blame yourselves, your own blindness, for following orders that you know would cripple your country."

Finally, he shook his head, the first real move he'd made since he'd arrived. "Even as I am," he said, referring to the strip he had around his eyes, "I see far more than any of you. Now come, embrace the fate you have chosen for yourselves with honor, and die with some dignity." Despite saying this, he didn't raise a hand, nor draw his sword. He just stood there, waiting for them to come to him or, in a sudden burst of intelligence, surrender.

One of the swordsmen, well, swordswomen, who was shaking in her sandals, managed to get out a message. "Why don't you draw your sword?" Her voice was surprisingly calm despite the tenseness and obvious fear her body language portrayed, something shared by many of her comrades.

Nagare bothered to shake his head, though he didn't bother to turn it in her direction, as his eyes were covered anyway. "A sign of a master swordsman," he began, "is never needing to draw their sword until their opponents prove their worth. Now fight or surrender before I am forced to chose for you."

With his words, they charged him, many trying and failing to cut him. Not one attack even touched him, though they likely couldn't touch him. He just dodged around each attack, breaking necks and other bones with quick blows, twitches in the eyes of his observers. Organs ruptured, skin broke and let blood flow. Weapons shattered and/or clattered to the floor as their masters fell en mass.

In all of it, he hadn't moved from his starting position, just reacting to those who would condemn themselves to death despite his warning. Eventually, the tide of the truly suicidal ebbed, allowing for a reprieve in the battle, though Nagare would've preferred to end it all there.

He didn't bother looking around, as he knew exactly where every one of his opponents were already, took to the air. "If you wish to surrender, speak now. I will not give you another chance. This is the extent of my mercy for those who would stand against Naruto-sama." A great many of them shook, and at least half of those who remained surrendered, dropping to their knees and holding up their hands. "Good. For those of you who wish to live, take refuge within the homes temporarily. I will deal with those who wish to die in the way they've chosen to fall."

Those who wished to leave scrambled to the surrounding buildings, going out of their way to get away from the betrayed stares of their comrades. Nagare bowed his head in honor of those who remained. "For those of you who have chosen to stay, as your soul leaves your physical form, remember this: you have chosen this fate." He put his hands together, a green energy pouring out of the space between them. "I bear you all no grudge..." He pulled his hands apart, releasing a lance of sorts. "But, for the sake of my master, I must end you all. Peace unto you in the next life."

Grabbing the lance with a hand, he rose higher, going back wards a decent amount as he threw it. The moment it left his hand, he appeared atop one of the homes some surrendered shinobi resided in. the resulting pillar of green energy could be seen for miles around. It went up high enough to part the skies, leaving naught but an impossibly deep hole in the ground where there was once a road.

He dis appeared, appearing in the center of the gaping pit that now resided in Kiri. Much to the further shock of the onlookers, he just snapped his fingers, causing the hole to fill itself in an instant. "The will of god... will not be denied."

* * *

Back with Ura Naruto

* * *

After he had given that display, they all just rushed him, trying to take him with numbers, as they all knew from the fact that he could kill with a flick from a distance they couldn't match him in skill. "Okay, so you ARE gonna make this easy. Smart." With a thought, he was gone in a blur. "Soru." He appeared in front of the group, his leg ready to be brought around. "Rankyaku." He kicked horizontally, creating a wave that beheaded a large amount of them in an instant.

Landing, he turned and released another, pushing back or outright killing the shinobi who tried to rush him from behind. Releasing some of his physical seals, he stood, observing the recovering army. "You know you're outmatched, yeah? Just quit and go home. I got nothing against any of you sorry sods." None of them moved, looking at him with a sense of hate that he sighed at. "Why must you all throw yourselves at your death?"

Suddenly, one of the men sprung at him, rage burning in his eyes, though the fear was still very present. "YOU KILLED KIRA-CHAN!" His blade bounced off Naruto's chest, as he'd activated his tekkai technique.

Looking up at the man, he blinked. "Better now? I can bring her back, you know." The man, along with many of the others blinked at him. "My abilities go far beyond firing of blasts of pure force or hardening my body to the point of deflecting sword strikes. The measure of a god is not how much they can take away, but how much they can give. I can give the gift of life, the most valuable gift one can give. I can also give it back to someone who's lost it, if I so chose." The man started shaking before falling to his knees.

Tears began falling out of the man's eyes as he stared up at Naruto, as many did. "Y-you would d-do that for m-me?"

Ura Naruto nodded. "A soul is a simple thing for me to drag back from the after life."

At that point, the man bowed before him on all fours. "I surrender. I don't care what happens, just bring her back. Please." A great many of them took the same stance, bowing in different forms in a sense of reverence to him and his apparent power.

Naruto waved him off. "After everything is finished here, I will aide you. Worry not, I don't wish to harm any of you, but if you stand in my way again, I will end you, and will not return you to this world." There was a mass "Hai, Naruto-sama!" that ran through the crowd, which Naruto nodded at.

Walking through the crowd towards the tower, he gave orders. "Collect any dead you can find. If I have a body, I can return them, even if it's only one part of their body."

He didn't even have to look to see the others return to his location, not too surprised to see everyone kneeling in his wake, for some reason. Instead, they just dispersed into their respective energy, Mujihi into youki, Kyodo into chakra, and Nagare into natural energy. Flowing back into Naruto, his form morphed back into his multi-colored hair state, his suit coming back into existence around him too.

Stomping his foot, he opened up the floor for the rebels to pour out. "You guys... help with collecting the dead and dealing with the civilians. Don't burn any bodies, though; I have a plan. Nothing better to do anymore." With that, he made his way toward Yagura's tower.

Unsurprisingly, Yagura decided to come out and greet him. Naruto just stared at the diminutive Kage once he appeared, giving him a stare that would unnerve anyone else. "Hello again, Mr. Mizukage." Yagura looked at him blankly. Internally, he prompted Kogo and Kurama to get up. 'Oi! Lazy-ass fox #1 and Lazy-ass fox #2, get the fuck up! We're facing a jinchuriki!'

He got a mumbled **'I'm up, I'm up.' **from Kogo and a growl from Kurama, but he knew they were paying attention now. Nodding, he refocused on Yagura, getting closer to him in an instant.

Yagura stared at him impassively, his eyes the same glassy purple Naruto remembered. "I do not believe we have met." Naruto didn't verbally respond, but he shifted into the form he'd dubbed "Kyodo", the one every single person with shinobi training was familiar with in Kirigakure.

Every "loyal" Kiri shinobi stopped to gawk at him, many beginning to shiver in fear, knowing that many of them would die if they fought him again, or even his clones again. Suddenly, those who hadn't pieced it together previously were extremely glad that they'd taken the chance to quit when it was given to them.

Naruto didn't give his customary condescending smirk at the response of the Kiri shinobi. He didn't even take his eyes off Yagura. He just kept staring. _'He's worthy of at least this much respect. He could match me in a fight five years ago, and that is more than the majority of shinobi could even dream of claiming.'_

A simple thought later and Yagura was sent flying into the ocean that surrounded Kiri by a pillar of earth that popped up. Stomping on the ground, he opened up the box that the rebels were still in. "I'm fighting Yagura now, but we're doing this where there'll be little collateral damage. Watch the rest of them, but don't attack. I've allowed them to live for surrendering." With his quick commands given to the stunned silent Mei, he disappeared, speeding off towards the area Yagura landed like a bullet, leaving a trail in the water and kicking up substantially sized waves.

When he arrived a few seconds later, he stopped and waited for Yagura, who he sensed underwater. While waiting, Kogo decided to give an observation. **'Uh, Naru-chan?' **He nodded, still staring down where he felt Yagura's chakra. **'You were right. Something is definitely wrong with him.' **

'How so?'

Surprisingly, Kurama was the one to get into the specifics. **'I feel a Nise Gaiken around the ningen. After seeing Kogo's memories, it has been there since you met him in Kiri for the first time. His chakra is also for too... calmed for a container. That's not HIS control, it's him BEING controlled.' **Naruto just nodded again, as this only confirmed his own suspicions.

He would've conversed more on it if not for Yagura taking that moment to attack. With his chakra, he was able to make an army of mizu bunshin, which he promptly sent at Naruto. Having no time to activate his seals, he just deflected them as they shot out of the water.

They came in an almost never ending barrage, so Naruto just kept his fist moving. Smacking one to the side, bringing his other fist over to deflect the next, using his foot to smack the following one to the right and using that momentum to flip sideways, out of the way of the next. He jumped after that, dodging another barrage, but the next wave had already corrected their trajectory, leading their shot to hit him. Jumping around off the clones bodies was all Naruto had to do there to dodge each barrage of clones until he thought of what to do.

In the end, the answer was simple. Find the real Yagura. Dedicating a portion of his mind to concentrating on dodging, as it'd already become easy, he found Yagura's chakra signature and grabbed him with a chakra arm. He was still underwater so he dragged the small Kage up, dismissing his resistance easily, as he caught him off guard.

This ended the never ending waves of clones, as he'd been making more the whole time. When he brought Yagura to the surface, his grip was broken, much to his annoyance. _'Shit. Could've ended it all right_ _there.' _Sighing, he just got into a simple taijutsu stance, as he wasn't doing any serious hand-to-hand combat with Yagura.

With that, Yagura took his staff off his back, preparing for Naruto to come. It was a good thing, too, as Naruto came at him, invisible to anyone under Kage level as he released ALL his physical seals. Naruto slammed a chakra covered fist down on Yagura, or at least would've, if not for the staff that blocked his attack.

Yagura swung the staff, trying to gut Naruto with the hook on the end of it but missing Naruto entirely due to his speed. Naruto just appeared further behind the Kage, out of his sight, and sent chakra strings to wrap around him. It was simple enough, and extremely effective.

It would've been a battle finisher, too, if Yagura hadn't noticed at the last second, blocking with his staff. It was an adamantine staff, so nothing Naruto did in his current state would cut through it. Naruto, despite his inability to cut through the weapon, knew it couldn't protect all of Yagura at once, so made the strings wrap around him, trying to encircle the Kage, and, inevitably, shred him.

The maneuver worked, slicing Yagura to bits, but Naruto jumped to the side as soon as it did, dodging an extremely large water dragon in the process. He'd heard, if only barely, a muted cry of "Suiton: Suiryudan!(Water Style: Water Dragon Technique)." from below him, giving him a split second warning. Glancing back at his strings, he confirmed that what he just killed was a clone.

Not wasting the time to acknowledge his failure further, he jumped just as the dragon came down on him and Yagura surfaced, coming out of the water as his grey hair fell in front of his pupil-less, purple eyes, dripping wet. Naruto, while sky high, threw his hands forward, twisting his middle finger over his index on each hand. "KYOFU(Gale Force Wind)!"

Sadly for Yagura, Naruto released a large amount of his chakra seals while he flew upwards, so instead of a small twister, he released a true natural disaster, and it was all headed towards the child-like powerhouse named Yagura.

Yagura wasn't a Kage for nothing, though. He'd mastered raw water manipulation to the point of not needing his bijuu's connection to water to accomplish what he was about to do. Quickly putting his staff on his back, he thrust his hands out to the side and concentrated, not having enough time for a full technique.

The water flowed around him and finished forming into a shell that surrounded him just in time to receive the punishing force for Naruto's technique. And receive it it did, barely withstanding the assault of the wind pounding down on it.

When everything died down around Yagura, he released the shield, already grabbing his staff in preparation. When he got a view of what was around him, he was confused before shock settle in. It was the bottom of the ocean he was in. Looking around frantically, he saw that the water that'd been pushed aside was rushing in.

Above, Naruto was looking down with a smirk. "Can't reflect THAT now can you?" he muttered to himself, remembering how his conventional attacks were rendered useless last time he faced the Kage. He scowled when his sensed alerted him to the Kage shooting upwards at an extremely fast pace.

Naruto, who'd stayed airborne, blurred left as Yagura shot up past him, gaining a long, deep cut on his right arm which healed moments later. Unfortunately, that wasn't all there was to the attack. Yagura had been propelling himself upwards with water, creating a water spout. Said water shot out spikes at Naruto, impaling him in multiple places.

While it didn't kill him, it immobilized Naruto temporarily, though just for a moment. A moment was all Yagura needed, as he'd been going though seals, though they were with one hand. The moment he passed Naruto and began falling, he said in a monotone voice, "Suiton: Bakusuishoha(Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave)."

The spikes were pushed through Naruto's body, dragging him in that direction as well. Yagura had been concentrating to make a few more stab through him, though they weren't quite as big. The force from them, though, sent Naruto skipping across the now blood tinted water like a stone. He went all the way until he hit the walls of Kiri, passing straight through that and a few towers until he landed in front of the Rebels.

Everything on the former battle field stopped when he landed in a heap in front of them. Yagura appeared moments later, having kept up by having a mizu bunshin(water clone) throw him from midair before he skated on the water with the momentum.

He wasn't completely unscathed either. His right arm was broken in multiple places, just about every patch of skin you could see on his body was bruised, and a lot of his clothes had been removed or torn by the rushing water, leaving him without much of his clothing.

All the still "loyal" shinobi began to get excited, thinking their leader had managed to kill the powerhouse, though that thought quickly faded when they saw him twitch, then begin to get up as if he HADN'T just been impaled in multiple areas. He did stagger a bit when he reached his knees, making the rebels worry even more.

Naruto, gaining the undivided attention of every other shinobi, reached his feet, letting out an unholy growl. When he got to his feet, everyone gasped as they saw him. He just chuckled, though his eyes were glowing. His voice was oddly playful when he spoke. **"You are going to pay for that one, Yagura-tan." **

His body was riddled with holes. His chest had a giant one in the center and a few more around it, some even intersecting to make a bigger one. His right arm was ripped clean off at the shoulder, a curved ending at his shoulder showing that the spikes had done that. His legs were no better, though they managed to stay on. Thankfully, he managed to keep the damage minimal to his head, meaning he'd turned his head to the side and only got a hole blown through his cheeks.

Cracking his neck casually, though the air was gradually getting heavier, he continued. **"I can play hardball too, Yagura. Strings may be my favorite way to kill, but I'm better at..." **As he paused, everything on him began healing at an astounding rate. Holes closed up before everyone's eyes, muscle and skin formed and fitted together miraculously, his arm regrew, and any broken bones from the landing snapped back into place. Even his clothes returned. Then, after releasing ALL his chakra seals, he started to glow. After a moment, he split into four parts.

They were Nagare, Kyodo, Mujihi, and Ura Naruto, and each of them were giving off something as well. Nagare had a green aura around him, Kyodo had a blue one that faded to white as it got closer to him, and Mujihi had a black one that switched to a blood red as it reached the edges. Naruto himself just stood in the middle of the triangle they formed, arms crossed and eyes closed. He didn't visibly radiate a thing, but he gave off an aura of power unlike the other three.

As one, they opened their mouths, and eyes, in the case of Ura Naruto, and continued. **"Utter annihilation." **No one moved. No one breathed. They couldn't. The extreme force bearing down on them was beyond what most had experienced in their lives, and those that had were having bijuu flashbacks.

Suddenly, it shut off. It all just came to such a sudden stop that they could only gasp as their bodies recovered. Many fell to their knees, staring at Naruto in awe. The amount of chakra that now saturated the air made it rather hard to breathe for most of them, and just looking in his direction was enough to make the feeling increase dramatically. The only one who didn't react like that was Medusa. And Yagura.

Feeling the need to respond to such a display, Yagura closed his eyes for a moment before they opened suddenly. He began to saturate the air with youki as he went into his version two, full three tailed state. Surprisingly, it was more potent that any of their displays of power, though it paled to what their power would've been combined.

There was a tense silence as Yagura stared at them with his now white, pupil-less eyes. Before anyone moved, Naruto spoke. **"I recommend we move. I'd rather not destroy the village as I turn you to ash."** Yagura didn't respond verbally, only dashing at Naruto at speeds that were outright invisible to anyone under Kage level, even managing to match his previous speeds.

He almost stuck his hand through the chest of the blonde Naruto, or at least attempt to, but Mei appeared there, spitting globs of lava at him which were shrugged off, much to her shock. She was even more shocked when she found an arm through he chest, its claws touching Naruto's shirt lightly.

The silence seemed to grow heavy as everyone registered what that meant. Naruto's eyes were wider than they had been in a long time. In his head, he felt Kogo face palm and heard Kurama mumble, **'This dumb bitch.' **He was far too shocked to reprimand the foxes.

She didn't get a chance to respond as Yagura ripped his arm out of her chest, flinging her to the side, only to receive a blast of lightning in the face, courtesy of Kyodo, and get slammed by a chakra sword, courtesy of a now crying Chojuro. "HOW DARE YOU!?" both of them shouted, but Chojuro had always been one of the most devoted to protecting Mei.

As soon as he saw that, he went to town on Yagura, slamming him relentlessly with Hiramekarei in the form of a hammer. Kyodo let the boy have his moment, despite how much he wanted to take his place. By the time the boy had tuckered himself out, there was an enormous crater in the ground. Instead of gloating, he fell to his knees, crying despite his best efforts to not.

Naruto, on the other hand, hadn't moved. The air around him got really dense. A column if the really dense air seemed to surround him, growing grey and wavy. It sped up, becoming unstable as it did, and black streaks appeared in it. Instead of moving to help, he just addressed Nagare. When he spoke, his voice showed none of the rage his eyes did. "Do not let her die, Nagare."

Nagare made a clone out of natural energy, sending it to Mei. Nagare nodded once the clone moved, bowing to Naruto a moment later. "By your will, Naruto-sama."

Naruto turned to the crater that Yagura was in, only to see a tail slam through Chojuro's stomach, coming out the other end covered in blood. Naruto raised his hand, pulling him off and dragging his now limp body towards him with chakra. "This one too, Nagare."

He didn't even wait for a response as he made his way towards Yagura's crater. It was a simple matter to grab him by the throat, as the naturally corrosive properties of youki had no effect on him. Before anyone could move, Yagura was on a crash course back through the wall he'd sent Naruto through not too long ago.

Naruto barely had to glance at the other three. They knew how he felt at that moment. In an instant, they were back in him, empowering him further and making the aura get denser, obscuring his body. He didn't change back to how he normally looked, though. He didn't change much at all. He just kept walking slowly towards the hole Yagura had made, contacting both demon foxes in his head. 'Six tails, version two.' It wasn't a request, it was a command. He didn't even stop to consider if he was ready for that much, as he'd only been able to use five previously. He only stopped at the hole, getting on all fours.

Around his body, a cloak of youki formed, only visible as the haze around him dissipated in a wave of force. Naruto was feeling overkill, so he turned into Mujihi, adding his own youki to the mix. His hair went the deep red that was associated with the youki based form. As he was going all out now, own ears and tails came out, the tails growing as numerous as the youki tails, though, oddly, there were only 5 at that moment. His eyes turned fully red and his skin began peeling. Opening his mouth and exhaling, a stream of red came out. At this point, he was breathing pure power. So much that everyone backed away from him, even as far away as they already were.

A flash happened, and all of his body was covered in a dark red. His eyes were white, as were the visible parts of inside his mouth. He had claws on both his hands and feet, and he was digging them into the ground, growling. Suddenly, the sky got darker, and more of the dark substance he was covered in came down, a swirl of youki guiding it down to him.

Once it hit, it merged with him, calming down for a moment before his tails flashed, increasing to 6 in number, and bones formed around him. Fox bones. A bone paw fell next to his own. Vertebrae formed down his own spine, reaching his head. Shoulder blades formed above his. A skull formed around his own. Sadly, even though it was Naruto fighting, he was most definitely not in control.

After a moment of silence, the fox skull around his head opened, showing his face. He exhaled dangerously, visible youki coming out in a cloud before he disappeared, moving at impossibly fast speed for almost anyone. He was perched on top of a wall, staring out at where he'd thrown Yagura.

Instead of dashing off in the direction, he formed a sphere in front of his face, its contents becoming so dense at a certain point that the already compromised wall he was perched atop began to crack and crumble. It was only at that point that he stopped, condensing the ball then... eating it.

Yagura had apparently recovered by that point, as a trail of displaced water was lining his path towards the village, though it had turned a sharp 90 degrees when he felt the concentration of youki. It was then that Naruto released his bijuudama(tailed beast ball), but it wasn't in the normal ball form, or even beam form. This was a gatling gun. And it was carrying explosive ammo.

He fired off a multitude of shots at Yagura until he ran out, many of them almost making contact but being barely dodged by the bijuu enhance Kage. Once the barrage ended, everything was silent for a moment as everyone surveyed the damage.

The small domes of exploding youki were still visible in the distance, many of them hitting the small, thankfully uninhabited(for the most part) islands that surrounded Kiri. With the distance, it was difficult for any of them to judge just how large they were, but, as they could still feel shock waves in the village, the loyalist shinobi had to hope it was close, else their Kage stood no chance.

Yagura hadn't been completely still during this, though. He'd begun dashing toward the village, going underwater in the beginning as cover. Naruto wasn't fooled, and began dashing along the waters surface, not even needing to using chakra or youki to stay afloat. He was going that fast.

Eventually, Yagura surfaced, less than a second away from Naruto, though that was still rather far, with the speed they were travelling. He jumped out of the water, using it as a launch pad to get above Naruto. Rolling into a ball, he spun at high speeds, surpassing even those they were moving at.

Naruto jumped as well, seeing Yagura go airborne. Even as Yagura went into a ball, he made no move to dodge. In the end, as they were about to collide, Naruto just brought his claws against the side of the Kage's rolled up form, sending off to the side with a show of strength that would make Tsunade feel threatened.

Yagura had no way of stopping the momentum he gained from that blow, so, in essence, he became a skipping stone. Naruto, on the other hand, still had the ability to push on the air with youki/chakra. Still going at high speeds, he chased after Yagura, pushing himself to go faster and faster as his blood-lust rose. Every second he spent in that form made him want to kill the object of his rage even more. It was only through sheer force of will that he hadn't just blown Yagura up already.

Catching up with the Kage/skipping stone, Naruto batted him to another side, repeating the process a few time and dealing major damage to the helpless Yagura. Eventually, he went fast enough that he beat the sphere to his intended collision point, so he just used his tails to slam Yagura into the ocean, hitting him so hard that he sent him into the ocean floor from where they were, creating a clean hole down into a part of the earth.

All was silent until the column of water collapsed. Then, Naruto let out a deafening roar, one that people in Nami no Kuni could possibly hear. The roar itself was filled with power, making the water create many foot tall waves originating from his position.

Sadly, that wasn't the end, as the water beneath the jinchuriki bubbled before blue spikes began to jut out of the water. The water began to bend upwards ominously, still concealing the full form of the now fully transformed jinchuriki. Now, he was facing the fully formed Sanbi.

Naruto's white eyes stared into Yagura's single golden left eye before one of Yagura's tails came up from below Naruto at a surprising speed, sending him flying up until a large palm came out of the water, sending him flying towards Kiri once more, though he was angled a bit off.

The one touch was enough to active Yagura's Sangosho(coral palm), making his body get encrusted with the stuff. It was enough to jolt him out of his trance when he hit an island right outside Kiri, completely covered in coral.

Drawing natural energy into the shell, he quickly managed to shatter it, though, when he came back out, his six-tailed form had faded. "F-fuck. It should've lasted longer than THAT." He didn't have long to come up with a battle plan, though, as he was able to feel Yagura coming closer. Using natural energy and the two fox's youki, he quickly replenished his reserves, shocked to find that they had almost doubled.

Despite himself, and knowing the work the increased chakra represented, he smiled. 'Okay, I think I have enough chakra to pull off full power now. I'll need that bijuu transformation here.'

Surprisingly, Kogo denied him. **'Maybe you have enough chakra, but we haven't even BEGUN training that. You'll just go on a rampage, then become one of us, killing you.' **If only to further his shock, Kurama was in full agreement. Sighing, he knew he'd have to face him the old fashioned way, with a technique he didn't want to use unless he faced an Uchiha.

Taking deep breaths as Yagura drew nearer and nearer, he took the time to gather ALL his energies, condensing them into his core as best he could. He turned into his blonde haired form once more, though, this time, none of the others were visible. Behind him, a giant clad in armor that obscured every part of it appeared. It was a complete chakra construct, requiring maximum concentration for Naruto to make with his screwed up control. Shouting towards Yagura, though the now silent Kiri heard it too, Naruto announced, "Uzumaki Hijutsu: Kami no Sozo Siasho no Keishiki: Kokujo Tengen Myo(Uzumaki Secret Technique: Creation of God First Form: Vidyaraja of Kalasutra's Heavenly Punishment). Prepare for divine wrath."

It had a grey material below its armor, visible in whatever spots the armor left. The armor itself was seemingly made of bone. Two halves of a jaw covered its face, the teeth coming together where its mouth would be. The horned skull of... something inhuman was the top of its helmet, giving it horns of its own. A rib-cage surrounded the constructs own, and to layers of bone like plating covered down to its waist. Shoulder pads made of layered bone and forearms guards in the same fashion were present. Along the back of the fingers of each hand were the bones of another, larger hand, sharpened at the end to give claws. The waist down had many plated bone coverings in the front, back, and on each side.

And, in each hand, it held a black sword parallel to the ground, blade facing down. Each sword was longer than the already huge arm that held it, curving up towards the sky. It's guard was a skull that had the blade coming out of its mouth.(A/N: Google hollowfied Kokujo Tengen Myo for a good visual. Also, this is Naruto's answer to Susanoo... at least part one of it.)

All in all, it was a terrifying sight for the entirety of the Kiri populace, Rebel or no, shinobi or civilian. There was no movement going on at that moment, no clearing of bodies or ushering of civilians. All of them were focused on the ground breaking(literally) battle they were able to witness. It was a clash of titans. One that none were going to forget at any point in their lives.

Suddenly, Naruto brought one hand down, making the giant slam its sword into the corresponding place. When the rubble cleared, Naruto scowled, as Yagura had arrived. He had to divert his attention to the jinchuriki as he rolled into a ball and barreled towards him. As such, he was unable to witness a man popping out of the rubble, and barely able to feel it through the haze of Isobu's youki.

Spinning around with his hands parallel, he made his giant do the same motion, slamming its swords into Yagura's side. The jinchuriki's giant form slammed into the ground, making a small trench as it traveled back into the water.

Once it resurfaced, which took seconds, it stared at Naruto. Much to Naruto's surprise, a figure jumped on Yagura's head. It was black robed and masked, so Naruto had nothing to identify the person by, except the single eye hole of the mask itself and the messy hair the person had.

Naruto stood silently, observing the figure, who did the same. After a tense silence, the figure spoke, though it was in a voice only Naruto could hear. "You almost broke my toy, Naruto-san." Naruto nodded, his movement smooth enough that one might think he was relaxed.

After a few seconds more of silence, Naruto decided to respond, as the man seemed to clam up. "I'd say sorry, but you're toy was a bit of a dick. I have two questions, though. Were you in control of Yagura this whole time?" The figure nodded silently. "Okay. Now, will you give up peacefully? I don't really care about capturing you at this moment, so you can just leave."

Surprisingly, the figure adopted a thinking pose. "Well... I COULD do that. Or... I could kill you."

Naruto smirked. "Sadly, you don't have the ability to do that. I'm not saying you aren't strong or anything, but there is a special kind of power needed to end my life at this point. And I don't sense a shred of it in you."

Naruto wasn't sure, but he had a good feeling that he'd made the man scowl. "Oh? That's quite unfortunate... if you are being truthful. Let us test that, first." One of Yagura's tails came up from behind the duo, pointing at Naruto.

Thinking it was gonna shoot forward, Naruto went into motion the moment he saw movement on the tail, dashing to the side. He stopped, but then felt something enter his chest and stomach, pushing through his clothes and making them fall to the side. Looking down, he realized that it was some of the spikes that were on Yagura's tail. Looking back where he was, he saw that the ground was covered in them.

Normally, this would heal, but, for some reason, Naruto felt himself getting weaker. _'W-what? Again!?' _Putting up a tough facade for as long as he could, he sent youki to the opening as soon as he pulled out the spike. "See? This can't kill me. Only a select few on this planet can end my life, and you are most definitely not one of them."

His tough act worked. "Well, it would seem I am in a battle I can't win. In that case, I will concede. Violently." With that, the man disappeared in a spiral just as Yagura roared in anger and pain, his single eye's pupil contracting, a Sharingan pattern appearing in them.

Naruto, thankful that the man was gone, fell to his knees, his Kokujo Tengen Myo falling to pieces behind him. 'Guys. I'm in a bit of trouble. I don't know how, but that attack manage to actually hurt me.'

Kurama was the one to answer as Kogo was working extremely hard on keeping the boy alive. **'All of the bijuu's powers came from a mass of natural energy, Naruto. We got the biggest portion, so we got the closest connection to nature, but the others still have it. Isobu, no, Yagura attacked from the water, so he could've collected as much natural energy he wanted in that environment. Now, no more questions, we have to heal you or yo-'**

He was cut off by Yagura's palm slamming into Naruto, sending him into the ground. Again and again, Yagura slammed, creating a deepening crater with a hole in the center. Eventually, he switched to his tails, slamming them down into Naruto. _'I-I'm gonna die...' _

The word die echoed through his mind over and over again. He'd always thought he'd be cursed to outlive everyone he knew, restricted to only knowing the bijuu themselves and any others who discovered the secret and didn't throw their lives away. _'He. Well ain't this a bitch. I guess I'll be seeing my baa-chan again after all.' _ He closed his eyes, accepting the blows that Yagura rained down in him. Oddly, dying wasn't that bad of thought in his mind.

Eventually, they stopped, and Naruto dimly wondered why. It was then that Yagura began charging a bijuudama, aiming it at the hole. _'Ha. That's a bit overkill, Yagura.' _It took his pain addled mind a few more seconds to register what would've happened if it hit. _'Shit. That'll hit the village.' _

Naruto could still feel Kogo and Kurama desperately trying to keep him alive, and he felt an odd sense of warmth at the thought. _'Never thought someone would be keeping me alive again. Maybe they'll help me with this, too.' _He decided he wanted to see the two of them at that moment. It wasn't like his body was going to move any time soon.

* * *

Naruto's Mindscape

* * *

He relished the feeling of not having every bit of his body not screaming in pain to the point of his mind reflexively muting them."Oi!" he called out to both demon foxes in his head, watching sadly as the forest he'd made for Kogo began to wilt and die. "Instead of this futile effort, why don't you go out there and stop that bijuudama. I feel like that's more important right now."

Kurama scoffed as both he and Kogo sat on the yellowing grass, still concentrating. **"You matter far more than any of those villages, you know." **He went back to concentrating, trying to force more of his youki through the seal.

Sighing, Naruto sat down across from them. "You know, it's been real fun." They ignored him, still concentrating. "I mean, seriously. I wish I had a bit more time to get to know you both better. Especially you, Kurama. At least with Kogo, we had almost two years in which the only constants were each other. I never really got to spend too much time with you, now that I think about it." Neither of them responded, though, now there were tears trailing down Kurama's face, surprisingly.

"You know you can't save me, right? The natural energy is taking far too long to leave the wounds. I can't really live off JUST your youki until it does." Still, they didn't say a word to him. "C'mon guys. Don't do thi-" He was cut off by a punch from both of them, Kogo's landing in his face and Kurama's in his stomach.

As one, they shouted, **"SHUT UP!" **before going back to their concentrated states.

Naruto just fell back onto the grass, barely flinching from the blows. He chuckled as he stared at the crumbling sky of his mindscape. "Fine, fine. If you guys are so adamant about trying, who am I to-" He was cut off again as Kogo jumped on him, punching him repeatedly.

**"Why?" **she began to mutter as she wailed on him over and over until it grew into full blown screaming. **"WHY!? WHY!? WHY!?"**

"Hehe, sorry," he managed to get out once she was done, now crying her eyes out. His words seemed to have no effect, though. No positive one, at least. Once he said that, Kurama seemed to be struggling to hold himself together as well.

Kogo, once she regained the ability to speak, though barely through he sobs, began to speak to him. **"I was so happy when you weren't scared of me, when you were willing to talk to me as an equal. You don't know how lonely it gets, when you know the only ones you can even talk to have one arm around you, and the other on the door."**

At this point, Kurama punched the ground, feeling the futility of his efforts. Instead, he listened** "Your the first person to trust me completely. You worked on letting me out, on giving me freedom. You made me comfortable, you never forgot me, and you visited me so often... I-I don't wanna be alone again, Naruto. Please don't go." **Kurama had lost it by the end, unable to stop either, though he turned away so neither of them could see his face. They could see his body shaking violently, though.

Naruto sighed. "Well, I don't have much choice."

Glaring into his eyes, Kogo was about to say something but Kurama beat him to it. **"What happened to that iron will of yours, Naruto? You're giving up so easily." **Kogo nodded, wonder just that.

Naruto looked away from them, wondering just the same thing. "Nothing. Logically, there isn't much we can do to stop it. None of us have enough power to stop this. I never liked trying when it's futile."

To his surprise, Kogo's response came instantly. **"Bullshit." **She got up off him, staring down angrily. **"You never thought that when you fought grown men who had nothing to lose for food scraps, knowing you couldn't beat them. You didn't give up when you were forced into the redlight district as a child. Why in the fuck aren't you trying your heart out now!?"**

Sighing, he sat up. "Fine. Let's give it a go or two. Never know, it might work." Both of them looked at him, surprised it was so easy to convince him. "What? My only other option is to NOT try and die for sure. You rather that?" The shook their heads and got to work, Kogo sitting down again.

It was still a rather futile endeavor, though. His body had sustained a ton of damage from the nature enhanced, Sanbi-transformed, rampaging Kage, and, even with all their youki and control over natural energy, they couldn't heal enough fast enough.

They felt Naruto's mindscape fading around them, everything turning into a black void. Sighing, Naruto gave up. "Well, we gave it our all. Maybe I can move my arms enough to release the seal now." Casting his gaze to Kurama, he held up a fist. "Kurama, would at least perform a bit of ninshuu with me?"

Kurama looked at the fist sadly before a glimmer entered his eyes. He wasn't done yet. **"No. You are going out there, and you are kicking the shit out of Yagura, then that masked man. Now we have two reasons to kill THAT one." **Naruto looked at him with exasperation, wondering what else he could do. The answer surprised him. **"You are doing a full body transformation, and I don't give a fuck about what's supposed to happen. I won't LET it to kill you."**

Naruto looked at him, then Kogo, who nodded resolutely, before sighing. "Well, if I don't die from the wounds, I might die from this. Worth a shot, I guess. Who knows, you might do it." Just as they began falling into the void below them, Kurama and Kogo grabbed each other's arms, growing back to their fox forms. Those then merged back together, making a fox that was far, far bigger than either of them, and they were huge alone.

Naruto barely had a chance to gawk as a claw that made him look like an ant flew at his face, tapping him on the forehead.

* * *

Real World

* * *

Marking traveled along Naruto's body, originating at the seal. The spiral grew out, before becoming rectangular lines that traveled across his body, even his face. _'This again? No... it's different.' _Around him, stone was being pushed away and bubbling, gold youki was pouring out of him. Said power was strong enough to override the natural energy that kept his wound from healing, saving his life. It was child's play in front of the amount of power bubbling through him.

Going by instinct, he tried to make the youki pull him up. It did, dragging him to the to surface and slamming into Yagura's bijuudama, causing it to explode prematurely. The explosion was massive, but not big enough to reach the distant Kirigakure, as it would've been if the rampaging Yagura had managed to finish charging and fire it off. Once it dissipated, Naruto was standing across from a mostly unharmed, extremely angry, and totally out of control Yagura.

The blast had destroyed much of the chakra Naruto had around him, making him fall to the ground, surprised at how much power it consumed. Closing his eyes and opening them with resolve, he got up, concentrating on drawing more power out of his seal. His almost fully open seal.

He clenched his teeth as the power rushed through him. Most people describe having more power than ever rushing through you as a pleasant experience, and it normally was, but, at that moment, Naruto was struggling to keep it together. It was even more than on the bridge.

Fortunately, he wasn't keeping it all in his body. It traveled through him, reaching the blob of youki and making it grow. With a shout, he snapped his head upward, staring right at Yagura as a golden, 9-tailed fox formed around him. It wasn't completely defined, but it was getting a tiny bit better with every passing second.

Yagura just rolled into a ball, charging Naruto at high speeds. Instead of dodging like a normal person would, or even batting it away, like he did on a smaller scale, Naruto grinned as he grabbed the rolling ball of death, letting it spin futilely against arms made of youki.

Eventually, Yagura ran out of steam, and that was when Naruto struck. Grabbing Yagura by the tail once he emerged from the ball, threw him into the air. Once he let go, he let Yagura float for a moment before reaching up and grabbing him by two of them, slamming him into the ground on his back.

With his unarmored underbelly exposed, Naruto went to town, laying the largest beat down he could on it. At some point during the whole endeavor, Naruto began laughing, getting lost in the battle and in the power. He continued to slam his fists into the helpless Yagura, never even stopping to consider if he'd already won.

He just kept going. Yagura tried to charge up a bijuudama at one point, but he grabbed the Kage's face with another chakra arm that formed, making it explode in his face, the onslaught not ceasing as this happened. At this point, darker, normal colored youki began to saturate the fox, originating from Naruto. His laughter increased in volume, become somewhat malicious.

Inside, Naruto was going into his version two state, the tails increasing as time went on. A dual voice of Kurama and Kogo rang out in his head, making him pause. **'Don't lose yourself to it, Naruto. Enjoy it, but don't let it control you.' **He nodded with a malicious smile still on his face as the seventh tail formed on him.

Getting down on all fours again, he grabbed Yagura in the forming jaws of the nine-tails, the bone of his fox form coming in moments before it was covered in muscle. Flinging him high into the air, which is extremely high in his massively larger form, Naruto used a tail as a bat and sent him off in the distance.

Releasing a roar that the people in Nami no Kuni definitely could hear this time, Naruto allowed himself to feel a sense of triumph. He was in control in a full Kyuubi transformation. He kicked Yagura's ass. He'd gained a jump in chakra that he could just let his clones take care of.

* * *

Kiri

* * *

Everyone was staring at the enormous fox with equal amounts of awe and fear. Ao was the first one to say a thing about it. "K-Kyuubi... but..." He couldn't even make a proper sentence, though, with the amount of youki in the air, weighing heavily down on them.

Taking a deep breath, he tried again. Looking to one of his comrades, he asked them what he was trying to say. "Omaeda!" The man snapped to attention, though he couldn't stop his body from shaking, even with all his training. "Isn't the Kyuubi supposed to be in Konoha?" The man nodded.

Ao managed a shaky laugh. "In my time, a hidden village wouldn't even think of letting their jinchuriki leave their walls like this. Let alone the strongest of them." A somber mood came over him at the thought. "Things are changing...

Medusa looked on with a blank look on her face and drool coming out of her mouth. The blush that covered her face was unlike anything she'd experienced before, even when he was manhandling her before. Because now he was doing it without even trying. **"Sweet Yami-sama..." **Shaking her head, she made up her mind. **"I don't care how. I am getting some of that tonight."**

* * *

With Naruto

* * *

Naruto looked out in the distance at where he launched Yagura. He felt a buildup of youki from the Kage, this one much stronger than before. Smiling maliciously at the blatant challenge, he roared to the sky, bringing his tails up to his mouth. It all felt so natural, somehow, so he just went with the flow, pouring power into the technique. He had more than enough to spare.

In front of his still open mouth, a ball of extremely dense youki formed. This one was like none of the others before it. Even the one that Yagura had been charging before was overshadowed, as was the one he was charging at that moment. It just kept getting bigger. Eventually, it got to the point of being more than twice his already massive size, at which point it quickly shrunk, getting even denser and making the island he was on nothing but a crater that was quickly filled in by the turbulent water that surrounded it.

Once his mouth closed around it, he felt a spike of lust from Kiri, which he attributed to Medusa. _'Note to self: learn to control how much youki is spilling out, or Medusa will cream herself on the battle field... and people will die from my presence, but that's secondary.' _

With as close to chuckle as he could produce in his current form, he shot off the bijuudama in a beam, as he felt Yagura release one as well. There wasn't even a struggle as Yagura's was completely overwhelmed. It made a depression in the ocean as it traveled over it, flooding many islands and completely engulfing Yagura, when it reached him. A moment later, Naruto shut it off, remembering that he shouldn't kill Yagura.

Sighing, Naruto dashed off in the distance, still in his fox form to cover as much distance with a single bound. It was more of a test drive than anything else, since he had no clue how the body worked. Thankfully, he felt Kurama and Kogo working with him.

Not too long later, he arrived where the transformed Kage was. Well, the once transformed Kage. Now, Yagura was floating face up in the water, burns all over his body and clothes torn beyond the point of being usable, unless you were a stripper.

Naruto looked down at what was little more than a spec on the floor from his perspective. Sighing, he released his transformed state, which he did by just releasing his hold on the youki that maintained the transformation. A burst of red escaped from his form, leaving him suspended in mid air until he hit the ground. Once he stood, he felt all the youki in the air rush into his seal at once, pushing all the natural energy in him out as it traveled through his chakra system at different points, strengthening his own youki and chakra one last time before settling in the seal once more.

Now, as his chakra slowly returned to a more normal state and natural energy flowed back in at a much slower than average rate, Naruto kneeled in front of Yagura's damaged form. He stared at the defeated Kage for a little while as he wondered if his original plan would still work. Closing his eyes, he tried to probe Yagura's chakra, and still felt the oppressive youki of a bijuu behind it. _'Good, I didn't kill him.'_

He put his hand on Yagura's forehead, but before he did anything, he contacted his partners. 'You sure you want to do this? I mean, we've been planning this for a while, but it won't be easy to get it from the others...'

Kurama scoffed, taking Naruto by surprise. **'You felt what we just did, and it was the first time you've ever done it. If worse comes to worse, we'll spend a few weeks upping our power by abusing this seal of yours until we don't need anything else. Just do it. Besides, Yagura's chakra is far too weak to put up any resistance right now, and Isobu is definitely resting after all that. All you need is a sliver, remember? She won't notice if you take it now.'**

Nodding seriously, Naruto focused on Yagura's chakra, grabbing a good hold of it. Reaching his hand out, it sunk into seemingly nothing before coming out with three tags in its grip. Placing them on Yagura's now burnt chest, Naruto got to work.

The first one glowed as Yagura's body began healing, returning the Kage to a state in which he wouldn't be battered beyond movement, or even thought, when he woke up. The second glowed a deep purple, which was increasing as time went on before maintaining a steady glow. This one was suppressing Yagura's chakra and Isobu's youki, in the event that the masked man still had some semblance of control over them.

The last one glowed a deep red before a smokey red substance flowed out of Yagura's mouth and eyes, though it lasted for barely a second. Reaching his hand forward, he grabbed another tag out of the distortion his hand previously entered. Holding it up, he used it to suck up the red, smokey substance that just flowed out of Yagura before placing the seal tag back into the distortion.

Now that that was finished, he pushed his own consciousness into Yagura's mindscape, as he had done to Minato years back, and to the victimized girls a week or so back.

* * *

Yagura's Mindscape

* * *

Naruto appeared on a body of water that stretched out indefinitely. Not even his enhanced eyesight was enough to let him see anything but the murky depth he currently stood upon and the clear sky it reflected with a moon hanging above. Well, nothing he noticed immediately, that is.

In a loose circle around him, there were ruins of walls that were somehow floating in the water. He didn't know how big they were, how deep they went, or anything of the sort, but he knew that they'd been torn down brutally at one point.

Suddenly, crying reached his ears, though he could find no source. Following his ears, he reached the point where it was loudest, walked by it, then turned around when it began getting softer. Looking around him with a careful gaze, he found nothing.

When he looked up, he saw nothing. When he looked down, he saw his own reflections staring back at him from the murky depths. Well, until he realized that there was something else staring back at him at the same time, this one having the same pupil-less, purple eyes that he'd come to associate with Yagura, though these lacked the glossiness he'd seen before.

Looking back up and seeing nothing, Naruto realized what all of this was. _'This is how his mind manifest what the man did to him... Gloomy, but expected.' _Reaching down and touching the water, he felt resistance that one shouldn't be receiving from water.

Attempting to push through was a process that was long and arduous, but he managed regardless. Yagura, who looked extremely scared at that moment, tentatively grabbed onto his hand and allowed Naruto to pull him out.

It took a good bit of effort, but, half a minute later, Naruto was dragging Yagura above the surface of the water. Even as Yagura broke the surface He looked as though he was resisting something. Something strong. It was then that Naruto noticed the shackles around Yagura's hands and feet, which extended deep into the water.

Grabbing the shackles and pulling them up from the water, Naruto found it extremely difficult to move. It was a full ten minutes to him before he could make out what the shackles were attached to. It was a circular object of some sort, the origin of which Naruto couldn't even come close to fathoming.

Eventually, Naruto could make out details. A crater here. A few rings with tomoe on them. A large dot in the center. By the time it was nearing the surface, Naruto recognized the object. It was the moon. Looking up, he found that the moon above them had similarly dropped, coming close to them. It, too, began to gain a red hue and layers of three tomoe around a pupil-like dot in the center.

Mind made up, Naruto kept hold of the moon with the chain as best he could with one hand and aimed the other up at the moon in the sky. "Cero." A blast of purple, as he'd mixed his chakra and youki for the attack, slammed into the moon, though, when it neared, the attack stopped in its tracks.

Naruto witnessed the moon beneath the water's surface disappear and the one above him gain the full red hue. The rings and tomoe darkened to a deep black and "pupil" seemed to focus on the attack. Then, suddenly, a crack appeared in the moon, as if it was glass. More and more and more began to spread across the surface as if it was a glass pane under extreme stress, failing to withstand an unbelievable amount of pressure. With narrowed eyes, Naruto pushed more into his attack. It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The entire sky seemed to shatter once the moon fell, as if it was all covered in a layer of glass. Yagura seemed to stiffen before relaxing greatly, and Naruto felt a deep tremor from beneath him, in the depths which even his vision could pierce. In his hands, the shackles that bound Yagura to what Naruto assumed was the representation of the masked man's control over him disintegrated comepletely, becoming nothing more than a memory.

The sky now became a deep blue, and stars covered it like a normal night sky. The water cleared up somewhat, and Naruto felt it become... watery again, as if it would allow him to fall in once more if he let go of his chakra.

That's what Yagura did, though. As Naruto had cut off his ability to use chakra, he began to drown in his own mind. Dashing over to grab the Kage's hand, he pulled Yagura out of the lake that was his own mind. Yagura spent a moment coughing before getting up and looking to Naruto, who'd solidified a platform of chakra under them.

He kept staring at Naruto for a bit, his body language showing slowly diminishing fear and a large amount of thankfulness, though he looked like he could break at any moment. After a moment's silence, he spoke in a voice that Naruto found... off. "Thank you... Naruto-san, yes?" Even his voice sounded fragile, though that wasn't what Naruto found so odd.

Nodding despite his suspicions, he responded. "That's me, Yagura-san. Do you know what's been happening?" It was a bit sudden, but Yagura fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

No words could describe the feeling coming off Yagura. The best words were despair, helplessness, rage, and fear. All at once. But even these didn't manage to capture the feelings that Yagura was giving off. The human language didn't have the ability to express what Yagura was feeling. Instead, he just sat there, crying like the child he resembled.

Naruto dropped to one knee in front of Yagura, having a bit of experience comforting the distraught at this point, but still feeling a bit uncomfortable. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Naruto tried to be reassuring. "It wasn't your fault, Yagura. You know that." Sadly, his words only seemed to make it worse.

Eventually, Naruto gave up on speaking to him and just hugged the diminutive Kage. "Just let it out. Nothing more can be done." That was apparently the cue for Yagura to do just that, the sobbing seemed to triple as Naruto held him.

Yagura clutched to Naruto like a lifeline, which he was, in a way. His small arms wrapped around Naruto and he just let himself be human for a moment, a luxury jinchuriki rarely got, and on that Naruto was happy to give, letting the small Kage ruin his shirt, which was thankfully mental, because he was unsure if he had the control to make another at that moment. Oddly, Naruto felt something against his chest, but brushed it off for later. Right now, getting Yagura to calm down was his priority.

Eventually, Yagura passed out, which was odd, as it was his mind already. Naruto just laid him onto the water, the platform of chakra he'd made being big enough for it. Naruto, too, just sat down there, waiting for Yagura to come to, which he figured wouldn't take long, as his mind had nowhere else to go. Oddly, he could see some of the walls move every now and then, putting themselves back together slowly but steadily.

When he felt a light movement from under him, Naruto's eyes shot open. "Isobu-san?" he called out to the seemingly empty space that stretched on in the expanse of Yagura's mind.

The movement stopped completely, leaving everything eerily silent after he'd already acknowledged the extra presence. "I am not your enemy, Isobu-san. I just wish to speak." Still, he got no response. "Don't make this so hard, Isobu-san. I'm trying to help you right now, but you have to talk to me."

Suddenly, in front of him, the water seemed to bend as a figure below it rose. By the time the water fell fully, he was easily able to tell that it was Isobu, though she seemed restricted in some way, as if she couldn't get any further out of the water. Shaking the thought off, Naruto nodded to the bijuu. "Isobu-san."

**"Wh-who are you?" **To Naruto's surprise, her voice was soft and scared, like a child who's learned not to trust strangers the hard way. Even the demonic over-tone to her voice couldn't mask this feeling.

Sitting down, he looked up at her lone eye and responded. "Uzumaki Naruto. And I'm here with an offer for you." He noticed that her eye spoke of nothing but distrust, so he decided to give her a reason to trust him, if only a bit more. "I'm the jinchuriki of both Kurama and Kogo." He smirked, seeing her single eye widen a bit. "Oh, and yes, I believe they are separated right now."

He just decided to get it all out right now, as he didn't want any of the doubts which were no doubt swirling in Isobu's mind to surface. "As I said, I'm here to help you, Isobu-san." His face got really serious at that point, making Isobu get a bit scared. "I don't wanna scare you, but there's an organization looking to capture all the bijuu, and since I know they have a rinnegan wielder, they probably plan on recreating the source of your power." He saw Isobu's eye widen further. "Yes, that. I don't think they know what they're doing, but they are strong enough that they could definitely do it."

Isobu's eyes showed her worry, but she didn't say a thing. Naruto just kept going, seeing as she wasn't gonna comment. "I don't think the man that controlled you was among their numbers, but he's a threat of his own. He managed to control Kurama, or Kogo, or whatever, when they were whole, while still managing to give his own assault to my village, Konohagakure. He fought the Yondaime, one of the strongest ninja since Madara and Hashirama- yes that Madara and that Hashirama- at the same time he was controlling them." Seeing Isobu's worry turn to helplessness, Naruto hurried onward.

"But," he quickly added, making her look at him questioningly, "I have a plan. I am going to try and get to all of you first and... how should I say this..." He looked down, trying to word this properly. Neither Kogo nor Kurama were any help to him at that point, equally unsure of how to word what he wanted without coming off as greedy.

In the end, he just decided to be blunt. Looking up at the suspiciously staring Isobu, he sighed. "Don't jump to any conclusions when you here this alright?" She nodded cautiously, her head, that was bigger than him, going up and down for the barest of moments as she trained her single eye on him as closely as possible. "I need some of your youki." Seeing her only narrow her eyes at him, he had a good deal of hope going forward. "I just plan on using my abilities to cultivate it into an artificial bijuu, specifically, an artificial you. It'll be weaker, just so I can weaken what they gain and slow them down."

Seeing her distrusting and disbelieving eyes, he sighed and decided to explain. "I am the second closest thing to your father on this planet right now. The rinnegan wielder among them is the closest, for obvious reasons, but I can create something from nothing with my chakra in the same way he can. I can create a living body, only lacking a soul, to host the power, and a seal to either filter natural energy into it or use my own energy to feed it to that point. This is only a fail-safe, to be honest, but, if that man joins this group, I won't be able to stop them from taking all of you." He clenched his fist at that point, hating to admit being too weak for something, outright lacking the strength to succeed.

"I plan on trying to end Akatsuki, the organization that wants you all, but I doubt I can do it, at least not right now." The words stung him worse than he felt they should've. He didn't notice that Yagura had gotten up by this point and was listening intently.

"They have two others who already wield the same eyes as Madara, the ones that allowed him to control you guys, a man with enough chakra to rival some of you alone along with a sword that sucks up chakra and youki alike, three people who have different ways of being seemingly immortal, a person who can pretty much turn into paper and phase through attacks, a bomber who can take out a jinchuriki before they get a chance to call upon their partners, and, to pour salt on my wounds, a person who wields the rinnegan, the same eyes as your father, proficiently. And that's without the masked man joining up for any reason."

Looking up at her, he scowled but kept his even tone. "You see why I need a contingency plan? If they move before I feel I'm strong enough to take on the rinnegan wielder and the paper one at the same time, since they seem to be partners, I can't stop their plans, only delay it for a while.

He shook his head, seemingly deflating in on himself for a moment. "If they were both to come at me right now, I'm sure I'd lose, even with Kogo and Kurama's help. I'd cause heavy damage, of course, but I doubt I'd be able to hold out if he MASTERED ANYTHING along the lines of the Chibaku Tensei(Heavenly Body Bursting from the Earth)."

Sighing, he began a path of self-loathing, despite his strength being worlds beyond most others. "As it stands, I can only do the Banbutsu Sozo(Creation of All Things), but I sure as hell can't emulate a true rinnegan technique to its fullest yet. I'm far too slow at creating life to match the Chikushodo(animal path), I don't fit well with the Shurado(Asura Path), I need to immobilize and, preferably, mentally break someone before reading their mind, so I'm inferior to the Ningendo(Human Path), in BOTH aspects, I can only match the interrogative abilities of the Jigokudo(Nakara Path), and I haven't even begun to master anything remotely near the Gakido(Preta Path)."

He stopped his little tirade, lost in his own world at that moment. "The only thing I can do is match the Tendo(Deva Path) and the Gedo(Outer Path), to some degree." He seemed to realize that he went off on his own and reigned himself in. "Apologies, but I think you get it. No bijuu is safe against him, so I'm the closest thing to matching this guy on earth, bar none. And I still have to worry about the masked man, so I have to ask that you comply, in the event of things getting out of hand, which they are liable to, in the event that they start moving too early." The silence that followed was deafening.

For the first time in a while, Isobu spoke. **"If I say no?" **She didn't really mean much by it, but she wanted to know what else he had.

Naruto narrowed his eyes up at her before getting up. "Just because I am too weak to do this doesn't mean I'm proportionately stupid." Just like that, he was back to being the normal Naruto, his thoughts left to bubble under the surface.

"I already extracted a bit of your power, Isobu. I know some of your... siblings can be rather difficult, so I'm leaving nothing to chance." Drying his pants with a thought, he took a moment before looking her dead in the eye. "I am NOT letting all my hard work, working toward my dream, go to waste because one of you decided they were above lending me their power for a backup plan. Sorry, but I'm more or less just asking for you blessing here. If you say no... well, the fate of this world outweighs your displeasure. Please understand, Isobu-san."

Isobu stared down at him with wide eyes before nodding, understanding completely. **"S-sorry, N-Naruto-san. I..." **She trailed off, avoiding eye contact with him at that point. Suddenly, she started shrinking, her body glowing a sea-green.

When she was done, in her place stood a woman, no, a teenager who looked to be, at most, 14. She was rather short, only coming up to Naruto's shoulder, wore slippers that didn't really add much to it. She had on a triathlon swimsuit that covered most of her body, only leaving her legs from the knee down, head, and all of her arms out in the open. He green hair flowed down and covered her correspondingly missing right eye, leaving her left out in the open. Sadly, Naruto noticed the shackles on her limbs that flowed down into the murky deep below them, making him from. _'So that's why she was struggling.'_

Naruto didn't comment on them, though, as Isobu bowed to him hastily, still avoiding eye contact. **"Gomenasai, N-Naruto-san. I didn't m-mean to offend y-you."**

Naruto waved her off. "It's fine. Just know that I won't let anyone's pride doom what I am choosing to protect. If you get a chance before I do, pass that onto your siblings." Naruto then turned to Yagura, who he'd noticed a little while after he'd come out of his own little world. "So, are you better now, Yagura-san... and why did I sense a Nise Gaiken around you outside? How do even know that technique?" He figured he could at least answer that much with ease, as he seemed much better, the mostly repaired walls around them reflecting that.

Yagura seemed surprised by the sudden address, as he fumbled for words for a moment. "I, uh, no, I..." Taking a deep breath, Yagura, composed himself, going into what he'd dubbed as Kage mode. "Yes, Naruto-san. I am quite alright now. As for the technique you speak of... " He hesitated, looking past Naruto to Isobu.

Nodding, Isobu looked at Naruto with calculating eyes, but keeping her opinion to herself. Sighing, Yagura just looked at Naruto with a bit of conflict in his eyes. "Answer me this first, Uzumaki-san." Naruto nodded. "What do you plan on doing to me, now that you've beaten me?"

Naruto raised a brow at that. "You can do what you want. Kiri probably has some beef with you, though, so I could offer you a place to stay that's relatively safe. Your choice." Seeing Yagura's eye widen at his answer, Naruto had to ask, "What'd you think I was gonna do? Kill you?" Naruto just shook his head. "I knew you were being controlled from the moment we fought. Now I just have another score to settle with that masked man, whenever the time is best, but I have nothing against you, Yagura-san. Now it's your turn. Demon technique, explanation, now." His demand came a little more forcefully than last time, because this could change things for the better if what he thought was true was true.

Sighing, Yagura began to explain. "I... I'm actually..." He looked really insecure about something as he spoke, making Naruto all the more curious yet lenient all at once.

Placing a hand on the smaller Kage-level shinobi's shoulder, Naruto shook his head. "It's fine. Keep your secrets; I have a good amount of my own." He went to take his hand of Yagura's shoulder as he continued. "For now, let's-"

He stopped abruptly when Yagura grabbed his retreating hand. "No, I'll tell you." His voice was steady, but the insecurity was still there. Looking up into his eyes, Yagura gathered himself and dropped a reality bomb on Naruto. "I'm a girl."

Naruto blinked once, twice, then a third time, each time repeating that line to himself. Finally the words clicked for him. "Wait, what?"

His words only seemed to spur Yagura on. "My father was the son of the previous jinchuriki and my mother was the third strongest ANBU member in Kiri, second only to Hozuki Mangetsu and Hoshigaki Kisame when they were on the force. I had a target on my back, a big one, so my tou-san got his tou-san to convince Isobu-chan to help me by making me appear as male for most of my life, once she was placed within me. We've grown rather close over my life-time."

Naruto had no clue how to react to that. While it certainly did confirm what he was hoping for, he got WAY more than what he bargained for. Instead, he just kept moving, finding the thought rational yet a bit shaking. _'Not like it really matters that much.' _Shaking his head, he just looked Yagura in the eye. "Well, that's unexpected, but I can't fault you for it, really." Shrugging, he extracted his hand from his... her grip. "I only asked," he explained gesturing towards Isobu, "to see if you had a good relationship with Isobu-san here."

He took a moment to pass his hand over his face, taking a moment to compose himself. Looking at the two, he asked something that had been bugging him for a while. "Uh, why don't you just... get rid of Isobu-san's shackles, Yagura...-san." He quickly added the honorific, as he wasn't too close with Yagura, and they weren't enemies or anything of the sort, as such deserving the normal level of respect in his mind.

She looked at him in confusion, wondering just what he meant. This made Naruto look at Isobu with surprise. "What, you've never told her about what she can do!?" Isobu averted her eyes and retained her silence, much to Naruto's annoyance.

Sighing, Naruto cast his gaze back to Yagura. "You're god in here, Yagura-san. You can do anything, like change how the seal manifests. You can try after I've left, though, because I'm not done with you two." They both looked at him questioningly, prompting him to continue.

"You two don't talk much, huh?" Shaking his head, he just continued, not waiting for a response. "Now, I don't know how much you trust one another, but I have a seal that makes you both much stronger, at the cost of constantly needing to work on your control." Making his shirt disappear, he pointed at his toned stomach, where his seal resided. He ignored the blush of Isobu, though he was somewhat pleased when Yagura kept stone-faced as usual.

"This seal drains Kogo and Kurama's, the Kyuubi...s', power into my system constantly, empowering me and putting stress on them, making them grow. I'm only thirteen, but my body has grown at an accelerated rate to adapt to it better. You, on the other hand, can already do a full-body transformation, so you are accustomed to Isobu's youki, Yagura, so this can go rather easily. I can create a suppression seal so you don't become a beacon of chakra to any sensor, so don't worry about that."

When they nodded moments later, Naruto sighed in relief. When he spoke again, his voice was a bit bitter. "There is a war of sorts coming, and, even if you don't wanna fight in it, you had better get as strong as you can." Sighing once more, this time he decided they should do the process now. "I asked my question earlier mainly because I wanted to know if you'd jump at the chance of breaking out of Yagura-san, Isobu-san. I'm undoing your seal, but try and stay inside this one, okay?" She nodded, making Naruto relax a bit as he faded out of Yagura's mindscape.

Once he was gone, they looked at each other. Yagura was the first one to speak, as per usual, since Isobu didn't like to talk much. "Do you trust him, Isobu-chan?" She just nodded, opting to remain silent, as per usual. At her response, Yagura laughed, something that would've given Naruto a heart-attack if he'd heard it.

* * *

Real World

* * *

Opening his eyes, Naruto went to place his hand over Yagura's core, though he froze an inch above her navel. He spoke to seemingly nothing, though his ever constant partners heard it. "This feels soooo much more awkward now that I know Yagura's a girl." Sighing, he pushed his feelings on the matter aside and did his job.

Forcing his chakra into her system, Naruto forcefully shattered the seal that kept Isobu inside Yagura, not that hard, as it was a simple seal, by his standards. Then, putting his hand into a tora seal, he spoke aloud. "Hakke no Fuin Shikki(Eight Trigrams Sealing Style), hajime(begin)!" It took a moment before a poof of smoke obscured him from view, though it wasn't like anyone was actually looking.

Once it cleared, Yagura was on top of an altar that floated in midair, and Naruto still held the tora hand-sign and floated right next to it. Releasing the sign and taking out a plate that people tended to serve sake on, he slit a wrist and filled it, letting his body heal the way it normally would once it was filled.

Holding it with a steady hand, Naruto dabbed his finger into the small well of blood before quickly writing on Yagura's abdomen. It took him a good few minutes, as his version of it was a bit more intricate, including a recharge feature for the bijuu, automatically drawing in natural energy instead of making them focus on restoring their own power.

By the time it was all over, Naruto had made many inscriptions all the way out into the air around them in eight directions. They were all connected by lines of it that went around in a circle. There were a few of these circles in the overall design, though Naruto didn't take the time to marvel at them, knowing that the people in Kiri wear likely getting anxious. _'I have to hurry the fuck up.'_

Putting his hand over his own bloody inscriptions, he channeled a good portion of his chakra into it. "Uzumaki Fuinjutsu: Hakke no Fuin Shikki: FUIN(Uzumaki Sealing Technique: Eight Trigrams Sealing Style: SEAL)!" With that call, the lines of blood markings began to condense, all of them flowing into the center under his palm.

It took a little while, which just went to show how much work Naruto put into it, but eventually, all of it flowed into the circular area under his palm. Once it was all there, it began spinning, becoming a spiral pattern similar to the one Naruto had, but this one was a bit different. It had four prongs off the side, each of them splitting into two at a point. Between the split at the end of each, there was a small fire symbol that appeared as Naruto watched to make sure it worked.

Nodding, he dispelled the altar, catching Yagura in his arms before setting down on the water, and reentered Yagura's mind.

* * *

Yagura's Mindscape

* * *

Appearing, he wasn't surprised to find Isobu swimming around happily in her bijuu form, Yagura laying on her back. It was a slightly unnerving sight for Naruto, who'd viewed Yagura as an enemy for so long, but he shrugged that off. "Oi!" Yagura slipped off Isobu's back in surprise, making Naruto sweat-drop. _'I almost died to this?'_

Shaking his head, he just waited for them to pull themselves together. Once they were both in front of him again, he spoke once more. "Now that that's done, I'll tell you this: with this seal, you can let Isobu-san out for a while with no negative effects to either of you. Since you can handle her power to the point of a full transformation, Yagura-san, you can let her out completely, with the seal being your only link. I will warn you to not push it beyond a week or so, but do as you wish beyond that."

They both looked at him, wide-eyed for a moment. After a shared look, they both bowed to him, though Yagura spoke for the extremely quiet Isobu. "Thank you, Naruto-san."

Naruto waved them off. "Don't bow so easily to me. I'd understand if I was reviving you dead mom or something, but I've done nothing THAT big... though I probably could..." He was lost in his own world for a moment before shaking his head. "Whatever. Also, just Naruto is fine, because -san makes me feel old." The two nodded, extremely happy.

"Now," Naruto continued, his neutral face back in full force, "I'll leave the key to the seal with you wherever you choose to stay. Onto what you'll do now that this is over. My offer to give you a place still stands."

Yagura looked at Isobu, and they seemed to have an entire conversation with the look, despite it only lasting moments. Yagura turned to a Naruto once they were done. "I trust you. Where is it?"

Naruto was a bit surprised that she trusted him, but, then again, he was the one that helped her once her mind was thoroughly violated by the masked man. _'I guess that makes some sense.' _Clearing his mind of those thoughts, he just complied with her questioning. "I'm likely the strongest Uzumaki alive who has any interest in the past, so I took it upon myself to get the reconstruction of the place underway a while back, once I took a trip there. That's where I'd house you, for now: Uzushiogakure(Village Hidden in the Whirlpools). It needs a Kage-level ninja there, in the event anything goes FUBAR, and your the best option right now, especially since the population is growing."

Taking a moment, he summed things up. "Basically, I'm asking you to be the first Uzukage of the rebuilt Uzushio in return for the natural protection the village offers. Do you accept?" He addressed the question to both Isobu and Yagura, as he viewed the two as a package deal.

Isobu was on board, as she hadn't been able to go beyond Kiri, besides the occasion when her jinchuriki was sent to destroy an enemy force, in a long time. Yagura, on the other hand, was actually a bit confused, despite being thankful. "Shouldn't you be the Uzukage, or some other Uzumaki?"

Naruto scoffed. "Should all of the Hokage been Senju?" Shaking his head, though he thought he proved his point, Naruto continued. "Besides, I'm technically a genin of Konoha right now, so... yeah."

Isobu hadn't ever really cared for the ninja rankings that much, so the line didn't really strike her as anything of note, but Yagura nearly passed out. "YOUR ONLY A GENIN!?" She took a moment to compose herself, going back to her normal state of staring with calculating eyes that seemed to not even see you, but your potential. "I find that hard to believe, but I will take your word for it, Naruto-sa-... Naruto."

Naruto nodded, a small smirk on his face. "The rank makes people underestimate me once they find out, but it really doesn't matter to me. I plan on leaving Konoha at some point in the future, once a few things come to pass. Now, I assume we're done here?" They both nodded. "Alright. I'll be bringing you to Kiri, just so we can let them know that you'll be leaving, though don't tell them where you're going. Then I can get you there and show you how things work." He sighed. "So much to do, only so much time." He faded from Yagura's mind before she could say anything helpful.

* * *

Real World

* * *

Naruto was in the process of setting her down when she came to. "Hey," he greeted as he pulled the tags off her body, allowing her chakra to flow. Looking at her for a moment, he couldn't help but comment, "I always pegged you as a bit feminine, but this is a bit far." Yagura chuckled, and, as he heard this one, Naruto nearly died. Again. "You can laugh!?"

She let her laughter die down, a slightly sad look coming across her face. "Yeah... haven't had the chance for a long time, though."

Sighing at the mood shift, Naruto switched topics skillfully. "So, are you gonna release the Nise Gaiken?"

She looked sheepish next, making Naruto ALMOST gawk at her. _'I didn't think Yagura had emotions, but I feel like I can just throw everything I think I know about THIS ONE out the goddamned window!' _Solidifying his almost lost composure, Naruto asked his question. "What?"

Scratching her cheek and looking away, she answered. "I... don't know how..." There was a full 10 seconds of silence following her admission before the resounding sound of Naruto's palm impacting with his face was heard for miles around(not really). In his head, his partners lost their shit, more at his reaction than her response.

Regaining his composure, as he actually lost it this time, took a calming breath. "Okay, let me handle this. I'll talk to Isobu-san about putting techniques on you that you have no idea about later." Grumbling for a few seconds after, he focused on his youki, still feeling something weird about his natural energy balance, and focused on shattering the demon illusion around her. As Isobu wasn't actively trying to maintain it, hearing their conversation through the seal, it took mere moments.

Once it was gone, there were subtle shift in Yagura's appearance, except one. The previously short hair lengthened slightly, a few inches at most. It grew to cover his right eye, similar to Isobu in her human form, though nothing beyond that was different about it. Her face changed, becoming a little bit more feminine, though it retained the stitches on the left cheek.

Her hips became slightly more noticeable, though not by much. It was only noticed because Naruto was looking for differences, really. Her fingers became a little more slender, though they were pretty much the same, as was the same for just about everywhere else. The most notable change had to be the chest, which had a pair of breast come into existence, though they weren't all THAT noticeable. All the changes popped out to Naruto, though, as his chakra, which was ever saturating the air, highlighted all the changes to him.

After a moment more of observation, Naruto nodded. "Cute, but we have other things to deal with." Not wanting to appear with a Yagura that was nauseous in the middle of Kiri, Naruto just took off at low-Kage speeds toward the village, which Yagura could keep up with even in her still healing state. She still hadn't noticed that Naruto had taken her staff, though.

They returned, jumping through the rather sizable holes they'd left in the walls of Kiri to get in instead of using the gates. Their appearance was rather sudden, making everyone jump, either yelping or reaching for weapons on impulse. The reactions just made Yagura shrink in on herself slightly, seeing her people so scared of anything that came at them, even if it wasn't her fault.

Instead of addressing them, the first thing Naruto did was snap his fingers, fixing the wall with ease. Then he looked around the crowd. "Did you collect all the dead who's bodies survived?" They nodded. "Good." After being pointed towards them, though he already found them moments before, he made a large amount of clones made entirely of natural energy, though he drew this directly from nature, as his stores were oddly low, which moved to the location. They were all still Nagare, though, as his body was the pathway for the natural energy to form the technique.

All eyes were on them as they encircled the corpses. It took but a few seconds, in which Naruto made his way over there. Nodding at them, he bid them to begin the process. They all sat with their legs crossed, placing their sheathed swords in their laps.

As one, they began to glow green, and the glow just kept getting stronger. Once the aura's hit a certain point, they connected to one another at the top before forming into a circle. The circle was completely black, the kind of black that seemed to suck in light around it.

Naruto took a deep breath, which drew attention to him. _'Chakra is the great connector. By connecting across the barriers of life and death, one can drag a soul across in either direction, regardless of its state.' _With those thoughts in mind, Naruto released enough chakra to become visible, though that wasn't all that much by his standard, and sent it through the void.

He felt the normal resistance he always felt when he tried to revive a person, which was multiplied greatly over the amount of souls he was dragging out. It took a long while, but, eventually, he managed to drag the souls he sought out. For some he had to search greatly, as he'd, well, Mujihi had destroyed their bodies completely, so he had no chakra signature to work off of.

To Naruto, there was a multitude of ethereal people getting pulled out of the void, though it was only a group of green lights to everyone else. Gasping for breath once the void closed, Naruto put his hands on his knees. "I've never... done... so many before...," he managed to get out through his panting.

Standing straight, he looked at the souls, many of which looked scared. "Don't worry. Once I return you to your bodies, you will remember none of what you no doubt just experienced. Unless you were lucky, in which case you enjoyed it. Sadly, I'm returning you to this world as well." Putting his hands together as if he was praying, Naruto focused on what he was doing, as he hadn't done anything on such a massive scale in his life. "Onmyoton: Banbutsu Sozo(Yin-Yang-release: Creation of All Things)."

He began to draw the souls back to the physical forms that matched their signatures, a difficult matter when he had to rebuild a multitude of bodies, recreating many of them from scratch. 'Yo, guys. Could I get a bit of help here?' They were silent. 'Oh, come on! Don't be like that.' Still silence. Sighing mentally, Naruto bargained with the currently stingy foxes in his head. 'I'll let you both out for a week the next chance I get, and give you the treatment, Kogo, and include you too, Kurama.' Still silence. 'With Medusa.'

Suddenly, they both responded. **'Deal!'** They both sounded giddy at that moment, which Naruto would've laughed at, if he wasn't straining himself greatly. Pulling youki from the seal wasn't the easiest thing, so the cooperation of the one who owned the power made things much easier.

It was a good thing, too, as Naruto was running on fumes after everything, combined with the stuff going on with his natural energy. His reserves weren't refilling too fast, so he didn't have his normal, seemingly infinite amounts. His shot to hell control made the efficiency of what he was doing drop like a rock, only making things worse.

When he was done, Naruto dropped to his knees, completely spent after that. All the people rushed the recently revived people, not even noticing the state that Naruto was in. _'I can't stop yet. I still have so much to do today.' _Looking up, he saw that it was only around 1:30, if even.

Sighing, he dragged himself to his feet. Yagura placed a hand on his shoulder, looking a bit worried. "You okay?"

Naruto panting, shook his head. "Nope." Shrugging off her surprised hand, he stretched his hand out, surprising her even further as it sunk into nothingness and came back with a sealing tag. Slapping it onto his neck, Naruto hissed as he felt a large amount of chakra and youki flow into him, emptying the seal. "Now, I'm fine." Sadly, it barely filled him up to half capacity, but it was enough. _'Note to self: up regen tag capacity.'_

With that, he began walking towards the bodies of Mei and Chojuro, which a Nagare clone/nature clone was still taking care of. The clone bowed as he approached. "Naruto-sama." Naruto nodded before gesturing to the two. "They are stable, Naruto-sama. As I don't know how much their chakra coils can handle at once, they may still be sore in their midsection." At that, Yagura looked rather guilty. Again.

Naruto, on the other hand, nodded. "Good job, Nagare. You've done your part well. Go ahead and rest."

Nagare nodded and bowed once more. "By your will, Naruto-sama." With that, he dispersed into a large amount of Natural energy, though it was only large by Naruto's previous standards. Now, it only made up 25% of the energy in his body. Sighing, Naruto took a seat and let his body rest for a moment, specifically allowing the natural energy inside him to even out on its own. Dispersing the clones he'd made earlier and choosing to absorb the natural energy to speed up the process, Naruto settled on the ground near the two unconscious rebels.

He looked up at Yagura, who looked a bit awkward and unsure of what to do. Rolling his eyes, he patted the ground next to him. She quickly sat down, though she said nothing, not having much chance to converse with anyone for the past few years, stuck in her own mind and all.

Naruto, on the other hand, had no such inhibitions. He'd learned how to be social a while back, and had, at the very least, the two demon foxes in his head to talk with whenever the urge arose. "So, do you really want to go to Uzushio? 'Cause there are other options, you know."

Thankful for him having a topic, she just asked, "Like what?"

"Oh, you could stay here, you know." It was just a suggestion, but not a well received one, based on her face. "Oh come on. Once you explain that you were being controlled, they'd accept you... I think."

Yagura shook her head. "They didn't like me before I became Mizukage, and they were only scared of me after. Even if they don't blame me, it still wouldn't be the best choice, if I have the chance of leaving."

Shrugging, Naruto replied. "Suit yourself..." Then he thought for a moment. "It's actually much better that you go there, now that I think about it. You're a danger to Kiri right now, sadly. Besides, nobody thinks that way in Uzushio, since they're mostly people I've rescued. They have nothing against jinchuriki. I mean, they're still PEOPLE, so they can still dislike you, but it'd just be because they, well, don't like you... yes, I know that was redundant as hell. Don't judge me." Despite her best efforts, a small giggle escaped Yagura's lips, which made Naruto's eyebrows shoot up. _'Keep forgetting Yagura's a girl. THAT will take some getting used to.'_

It was at that moment that Medusa wrapped her arms around him. **"So mean, Naruto-sama. Going after another girl when you have me here, ready and waiting."** Despite Yagura's surprised stare, Medusa proceeded to snake her arms into his vest and unbutton his shirt. **"Even after you promised me a reward, too." **

Naruto sighed heavily, but let her have her fun for a bit as he spoke. "Sadly, I'll have to make you wait a bit longer, Medusa-chan. Gotta deal with some other business first."

She pouted behind him, gut didn't try and argue it. Instead, she tried to bargain with him. **"How about just a quickie, then? Just one?" **

"A quickie for you," Naruto responded, pulling her hands out his shirt, "takes about two hours. I won't take two hours to fi-" Naruto, who'd been recharging the whole time on natural energy, grabbed his eyes and screamed. The itching that he'd felt before had come back a split second before the entirety of the pain hit him with the force of a freight train. He hadn't noticed that he'd managed to reach a complete balance with natural energy inside him, the flow staying constant at that point.

It was far too sudden for him to be able to hold the scream back, and, looking back on it, he wasn't sure if he could've, even if given a warning. It felt like someone had taken his eyes and dunked them in acid while somehow making him feel all of it with increased sensitivity.

Everyone was alerted by the scream, turning their attention to where they thought they might encounter another threat. Instead, they found their savior writhing on the ground, clutching his eyes while a girl who looked suspiciously like Yagura and the one the rebels could identify as Medusa hovered over him, worried.

As they all rushed to crowd him, civilian and shinobi alike, his screams went up in intensity. Yagura looked up at Medusa, worry in her eyes. "What's wrong with him!?"

Medusa was the only person who could feel his balance, but she was just as confused as everyone else, but for different reasons. **_'Becoming one with nature isn't supposed to be painful at all! What the fuck is happening!?' _**She could only look on helplessly as Naruto screamed in pain. Unknown to her, both Kurama and Kogo were having the exact same thoughts and felt the exact same about what they could do.

Eventually, after a full minute of screaming, Naruto's voice cut off abruptly, though his panting still resounding through the resulting silence. Bringing his hands from his eyes, he couldn't help but gasp at what he saw.

To him, everything was dulled in color, but glowed with differing colors, ones that he knew didn't belong on certain things. All the mist in the air, which was natural for Kiri, had a light green tint. Every person around him had a blue one, except Yagura and Medusa. Medusa had a red one that went beyond the bounds of her body, turning green as it interacted with the green mist that saturated the air, while Yagura had a switch to deep red as it neared her core.

It was then that Naruto realized something. His eyes had been closed the whole time. He was just experiencing an extremely detailed level of his previous sensing of his surroundings, even more so than usual. He een got color, which is something he'd never had before, only black and white outlines with chakra readings. It was extremely detailed before, but now it was like he had his eyes open and was looking through glasses or something.

With that in mind, he slowly opened his eyes. This time, the crowd gasped along with him, or at least those who could see his eyes did. They had a completely green sclera and a black slit in the middle. On the sides of his eyes, there were black markings that came down in a curve, coming down over his whisker marks. Mostly obscured by his hair, on his forehead, there was also a marking of a third eye, only depicted by the black, ink-like substance that made it up.

Naruto himself gasped at the change to his vision. Instead of the colors getting more defined, they disappeared completely, leaving his world black and white, with the exception of seeing a green tint in nature, a blue tint on people, and a red tint for anything demonic.

The most dramatic change, however, where the strings that connected everything to both the sky and the earth. It was weird to Naruto, as he saw one coming from literally everyone except Medusa. "The actual fuck...," he mumbled, scanning the crowd to confirm his suspicions. "Everyone... what the fuck?"

'Uh, do you guys have any fucking clue what this is?' he asked his partners, seriously hoping that they knew what the fuck was going on. He'd made a mirror in his hands, finding it rather easy compared to earlier, when his control was shot to hell. He had no clue of the coloring of his eyes, but he could tell the general differences and was a bit worried, despite finding them rather cool.

Thankfully, they were wells of knowledge and knew exactly what was happening, though Naruto hadn't the slightest clue how. Kogo was the one to answer first. **'This, my dear Naru-chan, is proof of true sage-hood. When Kurama and I balance ourselves with Nature perfectly, we see the exact same way.'**

Kurama took over the explanation. **'Every jinchuriki is given a gift, or a few, from their partner, willingly or not. You knew about the increased connection to nature, right? Well, this is the culmination of that. Senjutsu is the craft of the gods, and natural energy is basically their chakra. There is no way to seal it off, for it is what this world is made of. You have an inside connection to this well of power that you are only just beginning to grasp. If you thought it was strong before, oh just wait. Right now, your control over t has skyrocketed, and you'll see the other differences in time. I'll explain those lines another time. To be honest, I didn't expect you to get the eyes at all, though. That's why it was so painful.'**

Naruto gaped, much to the confusion of everyone. Getting up quickly, he raised his hand to the sky, seeing if his control over nature had actually reached such heights. His hand crackled with electricity as he jumped onto a tower that was high enough that he could see over the wall. Dropping his hand in a silent Kirin, he watched with glee as lightning struck the remains of the island he'd formed the bijuudama on.

Looking at his hands with a smirk, he clenched them and un-clenched them before punching the air. He saw distortions that were tinted green to his sight around his fist, nature aiding his strikes without him even needing to call on its aide. It just did it.

Now came the part he hadn't thought of. 'Uh. guys? As much as I love this boost, can I turn it off?'

Kogo was the one to answer. **'Oh, that's easy. Just manually disrupt the balance of natural energy. Now that you've achieved this, it'll be what your bod tries to achieve, so you'll have to make an effort to turn it off now, so be ready to get used to that.'**

Nodding, Naruto forced a little bit of natural energy out of his system, making his vision go back to normal. When he closed his eyes, and even when he opened them, he still sensed things in greater detail than previously, but that was a welcome change. Now, as he looked in the mirror, he saw much smaller markings, black spikes jutting from the bottom of his eyes. His eyes themselves were mostly back to their deep blue state, the sclera being white again, him actually having an iris, etc. Now, though, he could pick out the occasional fleck of green in his iris, and he noticed that his pupil was slit. The third eye marking was still there, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

Sighing at the changes, Naruto got rid of the mirror with a thought and looked back down to the crowd, who was looking at him in awe. _'Oh yeah, I kinda just casually tamed raw lightning. My bad.' _Shaking his head, he jumped back down, making his way back to Yagura. "I'm fine, people."

Everyone parted around him as he went, despite most of them being taller than he was, making it a rather amusing sight. Stopping next to Yagura, he nudged her before gesturing to the people of Kiri. With their attention drawn to her, many of them began to connect the dots, some faster than other, though none could really come to a conclusion they found logical,

Yagura on the other hand, seemed to remember her situation, being as caught up in the recent events as she was. Once she remembered what had been happening and why she was there, her face fell ever so slightly before she schooled it into a calm facade, as was the norm for her.

Seeing the pretty much signature look of their Kage, the murmurs that had begun to roll through the crowd made way to shocked silence. Yagura just powered through this. "Kirigakure..." She stopped and bowed deeply. "As inadequate as this may be, I must offer my deepest apologies for the strife I've forced you through. I will ask none of you not to hate me, for it is not my right. All I can do is give you my most sincere apology and resign as peacefully as possible, giving the mantle of mizukage to one who is more worthy."

Naruto decided to step in once he saw that there was some form of discord among the people. "Yagura here is downplaying what happened. A masked man of unknown origin was controlling her for years. She's been trapped in her own mind, watching everything happen for the whole time, regretting her helplessness. The actually being a girl thing was just to protect her from things that you know would've happened to her, knowing who her parents are."

Once he was done, people looked on with a bit of understanding in their eyes, though some began to question whether or not she should've been mizukage if she could be taken control of so easily. Naruto, once more, quelled the rising concerns and accusations. "This man is the same one that took control of the Kyuubi and caused the rampage in Konoha. I'd be far more surprised if Yagura COULD resist his control."

For what Naruto hoped was the final time, the people quieted down. Deciding he didn't want to give conspiracy theories or doubts the time to be born and spread among the crowd, he just went ahead. "She'll be leaving this village, by the way. It's for the best." He paused and waited for the outrage of the crowd to set in, build, then burst forth.

A few seconds later, Naruto's expectations were met in full. Raising his hand for silence, which made them shut up rather quickly as they remembered that hand had summoned lightning not log before, Naruto explained in order to placate the crowd. "I shouldn't have to justify this to you people, but I will. If he were to return, the exact same thing could happen, or he could cause the Sanbi to be released and go on a rampage, no doubt crippling your village, if not destroying it.

"To make matters worse, there is an organization hunting the bijuu made of S-Ranked ninja, the kind who could actually stand a chance against a bijuu. At the very least, their leader is, from what I can tell, stronger than me." At his final sentence, the crowd understood the gravity of it all. If their leader came to Kiri to capture Yagura, they'd stand no chance. They didn't even know how strong the others were, either. For all they know, their leader could've recruited someone stronger than himself.

Naruto was glad they understood what he was saying. "Yes, it's both for your safety and hers that she leaves. If they know where she is, they can come get her at any time. As such, I'm removing her from the equation. Don't worry; I'll think of something for the compensation of the lost military strength. For now, I just ask you trust me."

Surprisingly, almost all of them did, though there were inevitably a few who thought this was all a trick and wanted to kill him. Naruto didn't really care all that much, but he was surprised at how easy it was to get them to listen to him. **'Well,' **Kurama commented snidely, **'establishing dominance, then showing mercy, then proceeding to kick the tar out of their leader, spare her, and reveal that she was being controlled the whole time, before offering sanctuary to her, due to the risks it put on them, and reviving all the casualties that occurred in your establishment of dominance tends to make people like you, if only just a bit.' **Naruto had no comeback for that.

Instead, he just shrugged. "Alright, then I shall return and we can discuss what to do after I return." A groan from Medusa him sigh and create around 10 clones. "Entertain yourself with these until I return, Medusa-chan." Her squeal made him rub his temples in annoyance. _'She's as good at causing stress as she is at relieving it.'_

Shaking his head in her direction, as the clones had taken her somewhere secluded, he looked out that shinobi who were looking at him, rather amused. "Ignoring her, just clean up as best you can. Zabuza, you're in charge until Mei wakes up."

Zabuza blinked in surprise. "What about Chojuro?"

"What ABOUT Chojuro?" was Naruto's response, making Zabuza nod in acceptance. Looking to Yagura, he asked, "You ready?" She nodded, a very thankful look in her eye as she looked at him. "Good, because this train has zero brakes." Grabbing her shoulder before she could say a thing about it, he transported them to Uzushio, a simple matter for the amount of chakra he had at that moment, as his restored balance had made his chakra fill up pretty quickly.

If anyone blinked, they missed it. One moment they were there, the other they were just... gone, a few ripples in the air of the space they'd left, which smoothed themselves out a few moments afterwards. Zabuza wasn't in the mood for anymore, as he called it, Naruto bullshit, so he just shrugged it off, filing the technique under "Fuck it- Naruto". Instead, he just shouted at the crowd. "Okay, so fi-"

It was at that moment that Mei was waking up. He took a moment to stare at her, open-mouthed, though you couldn't really tell under the bandages, before dropping his head in disappointment. "Oh, come on! I just got put in charge." Sighing, he gave out his first, and last, orders then went to debrief Mei on what had happened after she had become a shishkebab.

* * *

Uzushiogakure

* * *

Naruto appeared in an office that had a few copies of him doing things. One was filling out paperwork, another was writing a message to someone, another was reading a manga, and yet another was speaking with a brown-haired girl with some rectangular markings on her face. "Oi!"

His voice seemed to shock everyone, and the person next to him seemed to shock them more. "Yeah, yeah," Naruto began, walking towards the desk, "keep your shock for later. I'm short on time, so I gotta make this one quick. Yagura- yes that Yagura -will be the new Kage. She- and no I didn't change her gender; she was always a she, only hiding that fact -needs to be brought up to speed on things." They all nodded, though Naruto took his time to think about something before pointing to the brown haired girl.

"Rin-san(A/N: Yes, that Rin. Explanation later), you're her assistant until further notice. Show her the ropes of being the leader here. I'll come and formally introduce her to the people in a few days, alright?" He saw that Rin was a bit shocked but happy that she was getting a promotion, so he figured she was fine.

He walked behind the desk, going through the bottom drawer for a little bit. "Gotcha, bitch!" Turning to Yagura, he handed her a scroll. "This has the instructions on opening the seal as you please, but I really have to ask you to be careful. Oh, and please explain to them what's happened." He gestured to the still caught off-guard clones and Rin. Thinking twice about it, he made a clone. "You fill in the other details, alright?" The clone nodded. "Good. Now, I need to get back and deal with collateral damage in the Naruto way, aka create it from nothing and fix it with a thought, and I need you," he said, pointing at a clone, "to get working on bigger suppression seals, alright? Got a pretty big jump recently. You'll understand why in a few minutes. We all clear? Good. Have fun."

With that, he left, leaving a shocked Yagura, Rin, and multiple clones who felt really out of the loop. Rin looked to Yagura, curiosity pretty much oozing from her. "So... weren't you the Mizukage?" Yagura nodded, having the feeling that her day was about to feel like an eternity.

* * *

Kirigakure

* * *

Naruto reappeared, scaring the shit out of a few people who he found working on a building. "Lemme get that." Snapping his fingers, the building was finished once more, making the people gawk at him. "Redid the kitchen, too. That wallpaper was REALLY bad. Just sayin'" With that, he made a few clones to help out the reconstruction, aka finish it in a few minutes, as he'd kept the collateral damage rather low already.

Moving to Mei, who was being caught up by Zabuza, Naruto just waited for him to finish. Once they did, Naruto was rather quick to comment. "You know, I didn't think you were that slow, Zabuza. I can leave, come back, fix your buildings, and then come to you and you still aren't done." He shook his head playfully. "Sad." He had to duck under a swing of the Kubukiri after that.

Chuckling, he looked at Mei, who'd been gawking at him in unrestrained awe once he arrived. "You'll catch flies like that, Mei." She blushed and snapped her wide open mouth shut, but kept staring. He brushed it off, though. "Now, with the war over, you can finally find that husband you've been looking for. Maybe ask No-brow-sensei out on a date." This time, Naruto batted the swing from the Kubukiri and the glob of lava away with a thought, chuckling.

"Sadly, that'll have to wait for a bit. You still have to choose a new Kage, and I have trade agreements to hash out with whoever's chosen and Konoha, among other things." He felt one of his clones get dispelled, and very pleasurable memories hit him. Sighing, he added onto his previous statement. "Such as dealing with that succubus of mine."

Zabuza blinked before chuckling. "Have fun with that, Gaki." Mei looked a bit jealous but let him go. Once he was gone, Zabuza glanced at Mei. "Sooo... wouldn't it be funny if we shoved his ass in the bingo book for that one?"

Mei smiled widely. "Fun? He attacked Kirigakure, fought and kidnapped the Mizukage, and killed multiple shinobi. Those are crimes worthy of note." Zabuza shivered as he looked at her, remembering why he didn't go after Mei like Naruto suggested.

* * *

Kirigakure Rebel Base - Infirmary

* * *

Naruto reappeared down there, expecting to find Ameyuri dancing around with her swords, but only got a load of silence and a note with a chibi drawing of her eating him in the bottom corner. Picking it up, he read it aloud to himself. "Gone training in normal spot. Come by when your done. Ameyuri. PS: Nom." Shaking his head, he felt around for her chakra, which only took a few seconds, and transported himself to her location.

* * *

Kirigakure Rebel Base - Training Grounds

* * *

Appearing behind her, Naruto just said, "Hi!" but that was enough to make her jump out of her skin and attempt to behead him. Chuckling, he ducked under the swing. His laughter only increased when she took another swing at him when she saw who he was. In the back of his mind he noted that three more clones just died via Medusa, so he hoped the last six were enough to last just a little while longer.

Once she was done trying to kill him, he raised a brow at her. "I thought I told you to stay in bed?" She stuck her tongue out at him. Naruto rolled his eyes as she brought her swords up to him. "We can spar tomorrow. I can't kick the shit out of you in good conscience, knowing you just recovered."

Ameyuri seemed to take the slightest bit of offence to that. "Kick the shit out of me?" She licked her lips while grinning maliciously. "I'll make you eat those words."

Naruto sighed and flicked her in the forehead. "I don't have time for it right now, Go-tan. Tomorrow, we can fight to your heart's content, but, for now, you should go and speak with Zabuza and Chojuro about the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shu. Yagura's been... taken care of, so now you have to start getting things together. Your village is weakened by that loss, so you have to be ready as soon as possible, in case another village tries to attack you right now. I'm only here to clear out anyone left in the base. You were just priority number one." Dully, he noted another three clones biting the dust. _'That's three left.'_

This time she grinned at him with less intent to stab and more playfulness. "Aw, so you do care."

Flipping her off, Naruto began to walk away. "Don't get ahead of yourself." With his new sensing abilities, Naruto could feel her pouting as he walked away, and he found that the single, sharp tooth poking out from her top lip looked rather cute. _'God damn it. Now isn't the time for this shit... then again, I have to go deal with Medusa now anyway. May as well let those thoughts get flowing.' _Sighing, he just made a bunch of clones to scour the base for anyone left before searching for wherever his clones dragged Medusa off to, or the other way around. He really didn't know which.

Feeling two more dispel, he knew he had to hurry up and find her before she finished the last clone and went off searching for him, likely scouring Kiri in her birthday suit. When he found her, his eyes widened as he realized just where he was. "Oh no she didn't." Before Ameyuri could question him on what was wrong, he was gone, making her sigh and make her way out of the base as well.

* * *

Kirigakure Rebel Base - Mei's Office(This is about to get reeeeeaaaaal citrus-filled, but no lemon juuust yet)

* * *

Naruto appeared to find an almost insensate clone with Medusa between its legs, her head pressed up against his crotch, her arms keeping his legs where she wanted them, and a small puddle beneath her. In an instant, Naruto got a full, all angled view of the scene, due to his senses, and realized that there was a bulge in her throat and her much longer than average tongue was curling around his clones sack. Sensing the contraction of said sack, Naruto was glad that he'd gotten there when he did, as the clone shuddered, finished, then dispelled into chakra which flowed right into him.

Medusa sighed, sounding almost downright depressed at that moment. **"They never last as long as Naruto-sama..." **Naruto just cleared his throat, making her whirl around in surprise. Seeing him, Medusa's eyes widened before a glaze came over her. **"Naruto-sama!" **She lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and sending him to the ground. He was dazed for mere moments, but when he regained his bearings, which took less than two seconds, he found that his pants and boxers were already gone.

Sighing at her enthusiasm, he let her do her thing. With a nod from him, she dug in, filling both the room and Naruto's mind with the proof that she was really good at what she did. Well, Naruto's mind WAS focused on that until he heard two voices clear their throats in his head. 'Yeah, yeah. You know she doesn't like stopping so I'll do it once she's done with this.' They grumbled but complied.

A few minutes later and Naruto was thanking every god he could think of for the fact that Medusa was half succubus. She'd pulled off for a moment, strands of saliva and semen connecting her lips to the object of her current desire.

Naruto, much to her displeasure, got up at that point, making her think they were done. **"Oh, come on! That was only once, and just in my mouth!"**

Smirking, Naruto dismissed his shirt as well, making her scowl turn into a smile in an instant. "Don't worry. I'm just getting you some playmates."

Even as he began putting his hand to the seal, she began guessing who it was randomly. **"Oh, oh, is it that Yagura girl? Oh, or maybe Mei? She looked hot. Oh, don't tell me you're already at that point with your "Ringo-chan"? Or maybe you can call that white-eyed girl who reaaaally likes you here at your whim, maybe even the Uchiha at the same time. Wait, did you start with that milf, Tsunami or whatever her name was? Oh, oh, oh, I know who it is! Haku! It's Haku, right!?" **She squealed for a moment. **"Oh, please tell me it's all of the above!"**

Naruto, who'd just ignored her after the first three guesses, twisted the spiral on his abdomen. Out of the deep black void that arose, both Kurama and Kogo's youki poured out, eventually forming into the two demon foxes in a human form... who were currently laughing their asses off. Kurama was just about rolling on the floor laughing. **"S-still th-think you aren't m-making a h-harem, gaki!?" **was the first and only sentence he managed to get out before Naruto kicked him in the chest.

"Shut the fuck up, Kurama." When he kept laughing, Naruto, a vein bulging on his forehead, just spoke with his hand on the seal. "I swear you won't get out for another two months."

He clammed up real quick, though Kogo wasn't too inclined to join him. Instead, she got behind him with the same transportation technique he used and snaked her arms around him. **"Oh, don't be like that, Naru-chan. I'd love to mix and match with the other girls. You might even get Yugi-chan and Mata-chan to join. Maybe even all the others." **Naruto groaned at the thought.

Medusa snapped out of her little daze at that moment, grabbing Naruto by the waist this time and pressing against his chest. **"You know you'd love that, Naruto-sama, and so would I, buuuuuuut..." **she pulled him in for a kiss, though it wasn't very chaste, as she let her rather long tongue go to work. When she was done, Naruto was rather dazed, and a LOT more receptive. **"For now, think of just us. We can get the others later." **Naruto nodded dumbly, making Kogo chuckle lightly.

Kurama wasn't going to get left out of this one, though. Reaching around, he slipped his hands between the Naruto and Medusa's chest and grabbed hers lightly. **"Don't go forgetting about me now, Medusa." **At that moment, Medusa could've died happy.

Or, at least she thought that was the case. She took it back when Naruto released all his seals for the second time that day, his oppressive chakra, youki, and natural energy mix bearing down on her in the best ways. **_'Actually, I'd rather not die. This is the life I REALLY enjoy living.' _**She proceeded to immerse herself in the flow of things, finally getting her reward from Naruto. **_'And then some.'_** was all she was able to add before the tunnel vision really set in and her mind got set on her goal for the past few hours. Well, a lot more than just some, but she couldn't be bothered to describe it to herself, as she much preferred to enjoy it.

* * *

A/N: Whoa. And that was just day ONE of Naruto's time away from Konoha. He still has another six days in Kiri, a few things to set up, etc. I purposefully made it that Naruto would feel rushed, as he actually has a lot of things to do.

Let's list some. He has to set up the yakuza in Kiri, he has to deal with the girls in Nami before he goes back to Konoha, he has to see to any trade arrangements going through between Konoha and Kiri, by request of Minato, he has to deal with Medusa, and he has to formally introduce Yagura to the people of Uzushio, which I'm not revealing all of quite yet, as it is gonna be a plot point. Just know that he's rebuilt it, for the most part, and has a good number of people living there, and has had them for the past few years, running the place with mainly clones, except for his occasional, unsanctioned visits, which he's had to keep short for that very reason.

This is only what he knows of, too. I have a few more things to pile onto him, just to make him suffer juuuuust a bit more than he thought he would. Oh, I feel so mean, but I love it. Anyway, I won't be posting the votes for the harem anymore, as I feel like it'll be over by the end of this arc. Once this arc is all well and done, I'll post the final tally, and MAYBE tell you the few I've chosen to add... if there aren't too many already. So, for now, farewell. Enjoy the rest of your time on the beautiful invention of the internet, doing whatever it is you do when you aren't reading this story. Other stories, 4chan, youtube, redtube(hehe), significant other, friends, or even *shiver* outside. Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy it. Tataa.


End file.
